By Alexa Lewis
Following a national trend, the number of reporters covering Iowa politics continues to decline, limiting the ability of the public to have a reliable source of credible local news. Students at Drake University, however, are stepping in to fill the gap in news reporting.
Just a few miles from the Iowa Statehouse, Drake University’s new Public Affairs Reporting course offers a front-row seat for students interested in political reporting.
The class, which launched in January, provides an initial 20 students with hands-on reporting experience in a simulated newsroom. Journalism students learn how to pitch and edit stories, access public documents, and report on meetings in the state Legislature.
“The big thing about this class is learning not to give up. A lot of reporters get into the field and they’re kind of lost when it comes to public documents and making information available that should be there for the public," said Colson Thayer, a second-year student currently taking the class.
“I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to secure some funding to get these concepts in place,”said Amy McCoy, who is teaching the course.
As a former statehouse reporter, McCoy said she is excited to pass her industry expertise along to the next generation of journalists as Drake University's assistant professor of strategic political communications and public relations.
“There’s good coverage [in Iowa], but the number of reporters has declined, stretching the remaining ones thin,” McCoy said.
As the program continues to develop, McCoy plans to secure a partnership with the Iowa Newspaper Association and encourage students to pitch their stories to wider audiences. McCoy also plans to publish student stories on a Substack online newsletter platform.
This upper-level course combines the structure of classroom learning with the creative, collaborative environment of a real newsroom. Class typically begins with a short lecture, sharing journalism essentials such as AP style, learning how to obtain public documents, and access public meetings. Students also have the opportunity to pitch and refine story ideas which they report on outside of class.
“There’s lots of opportunity for students to cover areas they’re interested in,” McCoy said.
“It’s up to us, what the stories are about. A public meeting story is the first we have on the syllabus, but we can decide what kind of meeting to attend," Thayer said.
Students have shown particular interest in reporting on social justice issues. The most popular among these topics have been LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and higher education, according to McCoy and Thayer.
The Iowa Legislature is in the process of considering legislation that could affect public universities. "I think there’s going to be a lot of passion for that kind of reporting," Thayer said.
McCoy noted this trend as well. “Our [legislative] session runs 100 days, starting in January,” she said. “We can already tell that higher education and public universities will be a big topic.”
Drake University's program is in its inaugural semester, but already students and community members have shown great interest in what it has to offer. Some of Des Moines’ most seasoned reporters have jumped at the chance to give guest lectures, offering insight from their own careers.
“Public affairs reporting is definitely very niche,” Thayer said. “Not every school has a class like this, so I’m very excited to have the opportunity to do something like this.”