A Reporting First at the DNC

Leslie Collins '19 hits the streets in Chicago to cover one of the biggest political events ahead of the presidential election.

Leslie Collins '19 is always up to try something new. So, when her boss at C-SPAN was gauging interest among staffers in going to Chicago to cover the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Collins was one of the first to raise her hand. 

“I was like, send me to any of them. I just wanted to be in the middle of it, you know,” Collins said.  

Her assignment was to create slice-of-life vignettes to be aired between C-SPAN segments during the convention, so her days were spent outside the United Center, venturing around Chicago conducting brief interviews about residents' and visitors' perceptions of the DNC, its impact on Chicago, the history of the city itself, and more.  

She spoke with business owners, the head of the Chicago tourism organization, and reps from Choose Chicago, but primarily she spoke with “a lot of regular Americans.” The conversations covered everything—the history of the nation, what life in Chicago is like and the impact the presidential race may have on people’s day-to-day lives, what Americans thought of politics in general as well as the DNC platform.  

The reporter-on-the-street task was new to Collins, whose regular job as a producer at C-SPAN has her sitting in the control room most days.  

“I was so nervous,” she said. “I’ve written plenty of interview questions, but I’ve never actually had to do one myself on camera. But it was fun, and with each interview I learned a little bit more and tweaked things for the next one. I realized I really like doing that sort of thing, which I didn’t expect.”  

In the evenings, when she was off duty, Collins would venture into the convention center itself to hear the speeches and connect with other journalists covering the event. 

“It was my first convention, and I was so excited,” she said. “I was nerding out very, very heavily, just walking around all the other news booths. The energy in the convention center felt like a sporting event more than a political gathering. It was really cool.”  

Collins said covering the DNC was a milestone for her career, and an assignment she would take again “in a heartbeat,” but journalism had not always been her calling.  

Growing up, Collins wanted to be a fiction writer. Eventually at Washington, she began taking journalism classes, envisioning herself as a print journalist. At that point, she was not interested in covering politics. That was until she attended an alum in journalism panel at the Washington College Rose O’Neill Literary House and heard Seth Engel ’93 talk about his career as a senior producer at C-SPAN.  

Collins and Engel chatted after the event, and he encouraged her to apply for an internship with his employer. Collins secured and completed that internship during the spring semester of her senior year. 

Three things that pulled Collins toward C-SPAN were its bi-partisan coverage of politics; that the internship was in Washington, D.C., a change from the small towns of Chestertown and her hometown of Newark, DE; and that it was television, so she got to try out a medium that was different from the print work she had done up until that point.  

When Collins graduated in 2019 with a BA in English and minors in Creative Writing and Journalism, Editing, & Publishing, she was encouraged to apply for a position at C-SPAN. Now, she’s a producer for Washington Journal, a live, call-in morning public affairs show. As producer, Collins books guests and does research and prep work for daily shows, editing graphics, and making sure each show runs smoothy.  

“Our main goal is to present a forum for people to get their news, respond directly to what’s happening, and speak directly to lawmakers” as well as other guests and professionals in their fields, Collins said. “We’re providing people with a space to ask their questions and get their opinions out.”  

Collins said the show, which airs from 7 to 10 a.m. daily, is very fast paced, but she loves being in the middle of it.  

Her path to the DNC was winding, but certainly shaped by experiences and opportunities made available to her at Washington. Collins says she’s learned to be open to new things, always.  

“I’m glad I tried television. It’s a different ballgame, and I really enjoy it right now,” Collins said. 

The Washington College community looks forward to seeing where her path takes her next.  

- MacKenzie Brady '21