During my first day in Washington, I ran into Sen. John McCain.
Well, OK, I didn’t just randomly walk by the longtime senator on the street. I came across the former presidential candidate on a tour of the Capitol with several other Medill students. The reporter showing us around greeted McCain and briefly introduced us as a group. McCain kindly welcomed us to Washington and excused himself to head back into the Senate chamber.
Walking away from the brief exchange, I asked myself a quick question: Did I really just meet John McCain?
I knew, of course, that I was in the Capitol building, but I hadn’t quite processed the fact that I might actually spot a few congressmen. Clearly, I was a long way from Methods (for non-Medill folk, that’s the first-quarter boot camp).
On my second to last day in Washington, I spotted McCain again. I was in the Senate gauging reaction to the president’s proposed compromise on taxes, and McCain was, well, at work. My thoughts drifted back to that first day on the Hill and the excitement I felt about the opportunities before me. A slight sense of regret overtook me. I felt like I had not reported from the Capitol nearly enough. Sure, I wrote pieces for Politics Daily on congressional hearings, sat in on the final days of Rep. Charlie Rangel’s ethics scandal and joined other Hill reporters in Senate stakeouts before and after the Tuesday caucus lunches.
But I felt like I hadn’t done enough. I never interviewed a member of Congress one-on-one. I didn’t take full advantage of the incredible privilege of being a credentialed Capitol Hill reporter.
Don’t get me wrong – I loved my experience in Washington. It was the highlight of my time at Medill. Call me greedy, but I simply wished I’d done more. And I knew that I had been given an opportunity that so few reporters get, one that I might never have again.
So, future Medill Washington students, I leave you with some words of wisdom on how best to capitalize on your Capitol Hill experience. Patricia Murphy, Capitol Hill Bureau chief of Politics Daily and best friend on the Hill to timid Medill political reporters, shared some tips for interviewing members of Congress:
1. Don’t be intimidated.
2. Know when – and how –
to approach a congressman.
3. Make the right pitch.
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Kevin Brennan is a political reporter for Medill News Service and will graduate from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a master’s degree in December.