When the National Media Comes to Town

Crusoe Umbrella at Des Moines Civic Center-Cowles Common

Living in Iowa, I’m often asked by family and friends from around the country “Why does Iowa always get to pick first for President?”  Well, I don’t have an answer to that question, and while there are good reasons for the Iowa Caucuses, there are equally good reasons against them.  But when I attempt to respond, I always end by saying that I have no control over which state goes first, but since it is Iowa, I’m going to dive in and enjoy the experience.

One of the more fascinating aspects of being in Des Moines is that it becomes the media center for journalists from around the world.  It’s amazing the amount of equipment that suddenly appears on the streets of downtown Des Moines in the last week leading up to Caucus Monday.  I was drawn to the Court Avenue district, and 4th Street in particular, to watch the setup for live broadcasting by MSNBC.  There is a very popular coffee shop in one of the oldest buildings in Des Moines called Java Joe’s.

Broadcast trucks at Java Joe’s in downtown Des Moines

Java Joe’s is a long, narrow coffee shop with high ceilings and I wanted to see what goes into preparing such a small place for both live network broadcasting, as well as the crowd of people that come in to watch.  They not only set up a mobile broadcast studio, but they leave nothing to chance by having backup power generators on hand.  This network began using Java Joe’s a couple of election cycles ago when their morning news and commentary show, Morning Joe, set up shop.  Since then, other broadcasts such as Hardball with Chris Matthews are aired live from that venue.

I went back the next afternoon when they were on air, and they even had lighting set up outside for maximum visual effect.

Outside Java Joe’s while Hardball is broadcasting live.

When I was observing the setup, I found myself studying the lighting, where primary lighting was used, how the scenes were set to add highlights to the subjects, as well as how background lighting was used to light the coffee shop throughout for television.  As a photographer, I was making many mental notes.  Lighting is the key to any good image, whether a photograph or a video setting.  Still, I had fun getting different perspectives.

Thanks for stopping by.

Save