Good Morning America Weekend to Visit UNC
ABC News On Campus UNC Bureau Chief Carly Swain blogs: Vocab review for Spanish? Check. Read chapters three and four? Check. Stats homework? Later… Send b-roll to New York for Good Morning America Weekend? Check. That’s how my planner read for Monday, Sept. 15. Does something look a bit out of the ordinary? Surely it isn’t the status of my statistics homework. Good Morning America Weekend is doing a live broadcast from UNC Chapel Hill on Saturday. As bureau chief for ABC News On Campus at UNC, I’ve had the privilege, along with our staff members, to assist in any way we can for GMA Weekend’s Saturday morning bash out on Polk Place.
During the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen a glimpse of what it takes to do a live remote broadcast. I think this is the best way to really appreciate what it takes to pull off such a polished production. There are more people behind the scenes than one would imagine. It’s daunting enough to figure out a way to get college students out of bed at 5:30 AM on a Saturday morning — but there’s more than that. Think about it: for every bit of video you see on T.V. someone had to shoot it, edit it, and then fit that piece of the puzzle into the program. For some of our staff members and student volunteers, we were those people.
What’s even more amazing is how quickly everything happens. It seems that it wasn’t too long ago that we heard GMA Weekend was coming to UNC. Now we’ve already dabbled in contributing content and are less than 30 hours away from watching all the combined efforts of this team unfold — only to pack right back up and hit the road again. But putting Good Morning America Weekend Production Assistant on your resume isn’t quite as fleeting — AND neither are these memories.
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Cheers to the hard work put in by the Grounds staff for making Polk Place sparkle!
Posted by: Jason | September 19, 2008, 5:55 pm 5:55 pm
unc is not the oldest public university in the country, william and mary was founded in 1697, almost ninety years before unc. pleases check the facts.
Posted by: janet | September 20, 2008, 7:17 am 7:17 am
William and Mary is private. Check YOUR facts.
Posted by: Jay | September 20, 2008, 7:50 am 7:50 am
UNC is the oldest university in NC
Posted by: jodi | September 20, 2008, 7:51 am 7:51 am
I take my last comment back – it IS a public, but they were not chartered until after UNC – W&M’s website says it all.
Posted by: Jay | September 20, 2008, 7:52 am 7:52 am
fact: UNC Chapel Hill was the first state university to open its doors and was the only public university in the nation to award degrees in the 18th century. On Jan. 15, 1795, the University admitted its first student!
Posted by: jodi | September 20, 2008, 7:56 am 7:56 am
These comments are akin to the election rhetoric, W&M would be the Obama camp, whining and blurring the facts!
Posted by: cburton | September 20, 2008, 8:57 am 8:57 am
Really, Ms. Snow! Do you believe Republicans win elections because college students forget, or have no time to vote! Perhaps, there are times when they really do have the better candidates, such as in this election. Please stop being an Obama cheerleader whil you’re anchoring a news show.
Posted by: Joan Falcone | September 20, 2008, 8:58 am 8:58 am
The glimpse of campus life explains why
so many young professionals are so rude
and demanding, Today. Their pampered college life does not prepare them for the real world or give them the ability to deal with people.
Posted by: Susan | September 20, 2008, 10:15 am 10:15 am
Kudos to Good Morning America for coming to my school. It was a great experience! @ Joan Falcone please do not prejudge people before you meet them. I attend this wonderful campus and yes there are some people that appear to be brats at first sight but when placed in a business setting are very professional.
Posted by: Jannie | September 20, 2008, 10:54 am 10:54 am
Im sorry that last statement was at Susan.
Posted by: Jannie | September 20, 2008, 10:55 am 10:55 am
what is the name of the band they mentioned that sang in the background of one of the segments? Sounded British i think… Loxley???
Posted by: Jason | September 20, 2008, 11:28 am 11:28 am
William and Mary is a state college in Williamsburg, VA
Posted by: martha | September 20, 2008, 11:32 am 11:32 am
LOVED LOVED LOVED the “Collective Bargaining is a Human Right” sign. I was a bit dismayed at some of the features, but am proud of how campus looked. As for you fellow politicos, I’d say that the student body and university staff are solidly pro-Obama. We’ll turn Carolina blue yet. After all, there are only two kinds of Republicans: Rich ones and dumb ones.
Posted by: Jason | September 20, 2008, 11:59 am 11:59 am
What was the collage that Kate Snow attended?
Posted by: howard | September 20, 2008, 11:59 am 11:59 am
I have a person that disagrees with good morning America programing. She is an avid watcher of another station. She thinks that Good morning America is just a bunch of liberals.
Posted by: lisa | September 20, 2008, 12:23 pm 12:23 pm
To Jason:
I attend UNC… and I am solidly AGAINST Obama. Please don’t try to speak for the student body or faculty and staff. Its just not a good idea in any situation when you’re referencing that many people.
And I’m a pre-med student with a 3.8 GPA. And far from rich. So there goes your other theory out the window.
Posted by: Stephanie | September 20, 2008, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
I just wanted to share a little about my experience at the ABC Good Morning America visit to the campus of UNC-CH early this morning.
Of the thousand or so people assembled for the 5:30-8:00 a.m. broadcast, probably 30% (including the band and cheerleaders, plus the Chancellor) were Carolina students dressed or painted in “Carolina blue” and just having fun. Minimally 60% were additionally adorned with home made and printed Obama signs. At the most 10% were carrying McCain/Palin signs.
The Obama supporters had come as early as 4:00 a.m. (and earlier) to claim the most visible positions during the broadcast. But, as the time for the program airing neared, the ABC staff demanded that the Obama supporters give up their space for McCain supporters – and furthermore demanded that at least half the visible positions be given to the small number of McCain supporters there! Many students resisted, but one of the “handlers” actually shouted that it wasn’t about being fair – it was about $$ and keeping management happy – in fact she was being screamed at over her head-phones by the producers, so she felt she had no choice. It was a dramatic lesson in moral decision-making for the young people who witnessed these events.
The Obama supporters started chanting “Yes We Can” until the “handlers” quieted the crowd so that the taping could proceed.
So, this ABC news and entertainment broadcast, as seen by the public gives the impression that the campus is nearly divided in support of Obama and McCain. It was all choreographed and in no way represents the reality on the ground – just like the managers wanted it. This is what the free press does when it is no longer free from corporate manipulation.
It was a stark reminder of why this election is so important. The secrecy and manipulation of information that has escalated so dramatically over the past 8 years has to end and the recovery of our democracy must begin – under our new President, Barak Obama!.
Posted by: RiggingTheAudience | September 21, 2008, 1:33 am 1:33 am
As a graduate of Carolina in the ’60′s I witnessed and participated in the civil rights movement in Chapel Hill. This liberal tradition apparently is still alive there as it apparently is tilting to Obama. Students there are intelligent and are taught to seek the truth. If those who support the McCain/Pahlin ticket are thoughtful people, they must be die-hard Republicans/Conservatives and are zeolots instead of rationale citizens.
Posted by: joseph | September 21, 2008, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm
No better place to live and learn than Chapel Hill
Posted by: Steven Earl Salmony | September 22, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm