I am in some ways, more grown up after spending five days immersed as Press at the Republican National Convention. I watched celebrities, politicians, protesters, and people — like my right-wing roommates, Melissa and Gabby, come hundreds of miles away to take part in politics. I was impressed by the power of a political party — but not deterred from what I was there to do: test out cutting edge technology and cover this controversial Convention in the most unconventional way.

Here are a few of my favorite clips from the week. In no particular order, I give you, dispatches from the ground.

Arrested at the RNC

“Obama is Communist..” and Un-American

“In the Tent With Shepard Smith”

Bob Dole Campaigning for the Republicans

On the Floor – Live Broadcasting!

 “No Compromise” on Life – My Roommate for the Week

Ron Paul Supporters Protest

While I was at the RNC, my New York Street Team partner, Sara Benincasa did something wildly creative and amazing. She made YouTube series of her dressed as Sarah Palin – and begged the question — if Governor Sarah Palin had a vlog - would it sound like this?

Within days, the blog attracted hundreds of thousands of views — and an on air compliment from CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that, “this stuff is pretty funny.”

Enjoy!

Vlog #6: Before the Big Speech!

 Vlog #1

 Vlog #2 — Bristol!

Adventures of the RNC continue…

For full coverage and my LIVE mobile to web streaming reports, check out: THINK.MTV.COM/EricaAmerica

On any given day at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, a face-off will happen. Whether it’s from within the house walls or on the blacktop where tourists and activists gather, belief systems are tested, tourists sometimes troubled and locals carry out many missions.

Last weekend, I caught up with a few people picketing at the White House. The picket was organized by the Campaigns Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) and calls into question President Bush’s intentions towards Iran.

In a New Yorker article by investigative reporter, Seymour M. Hersh, “Preparing the Battlefield,” sources confirmed the White House asked for, and received, $400 million for a major escalation of covert operations against Iran.

While the White House sells the idea that Iran is an immediate nuclear threat, a 2007 U.N. nuclear inspection reported that there is no evidence Iran was working actively to build nuclear weapons. Instead, concerns were expressed that the escalating rhetoric from the U.S. could bring “disaster.”

Here is a short video I created from that White House picket. It was great interviewing the activists - and then in pure contrast asking for the reactions of tourists. I even found an Iraq Vet along for the show.

I love the twirl of the mouse after I hit “upload” on a Street Team story. It means, for just one second, I can relax and appreciate that I finished an assignment. Those seconds feel good!
 
Here is a quick update of what I have been working on the last few weeks.

Coming off of two blog posts on Public Housing and Gentrification in DC, I decided to take my camera down to Southeast. It was at Thurgood Marshall Academy, a public charter school that serves a 99 percent African American students and 70 percent free or reduced lunch  - where I would ask what it is like to use your education to stay off the streets.

Hear what the students had to say in Anacostia’s Academy: Southeast Gets Smart.

Next, check out this blog post I wrote for Media Future Now, a group that meets monthly in DC to talk about evolving communication tools with 21^st century techniques like mobile technology and constant connectivity.

I wrote about the Street Team Super Tuesday project where MTV had 23 of my colleagues report live from polling places, caucuses and rallies using mobile phones. “Mobile Tech Connects Young People to Politics.”

Finally, check out this awesome article about the Street Team put out by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. The front cover read, “Cameras, Action and Accountability: Politics and the New Media.” Every time I see the photo of me looking paralyzed with confusion - and a wee frustrated, I am reminded it is the Nieman Reports and console myself that content speaks louder than vanity.

Here is the article my Supervising Producer, Liz Nord, wrote about the program: “Young Reporters, New Tools, and Political Reporting.”

And my Kansas colleague, Alex Parker, talks about the many hats - and struggles - we face.

I was slightly stressed out last Monday. I didn’t have a story yet (for my weekly MTV submissions) and was under the methaphorical gun. Then I remembered the public housing two blocks down. I had always been curious, so I decided there was no time like the present. I watered down my outfit, threw an audio recorder and pen in my bag, and headed to the streets.

I came across a few videos from MTV News and Gideon Yago tonight. All of the ones I found were from 2006 and reminded me of the old school news breaks MTV News used to run. Except they weren’t 10 to the Hour — they were in depth and serious. And it seems like Yago got some traction within MTV News with a project called Iraq Uploaded.

The angle of how technology, pop culture and soldier stories merge — is a way I haven’t seen the war covered. With the video I considered how unprecedented and unknown territory it is for soldiers to bring digital cameras for their Iraq tours. Apparently some guys even strapped handheld digitals to their helmets.  Don’t be surprised to see graphic stuff. This wasn’t made for Nightly News.

I heard a few months ago from the Department of Defense that the military evaluates videos recorded and uploaded in real time as a possible threat to OpSec, or, Operational Security. Same goes for blogs. This Lieutenant just had to take down his blog, while others, some active duty and some Veterans, continue to share their stories. It’s an all together an unprecedented issue for the Military. 

MTV News: Iraq Uploaded - Iraq Uploaded

For more videos like this, check out SpikeTV, Military.com and YouTube.

To friends and family when my video launched.

“This doesn’t just close out a month when I (determinedly) worked through each weekend, it signifies a milestone in my Street Team tenure. I am half way through this journey. My production skills have greatly improved, but more than that, I think I found what a friend and mentor advised I do back in January.

“Erica, Humanize this War.”

With that advice, I thought – and continue to think, about the way to do it. For this video, and over time, I talked to dozens of Veterans. Read every article I could. And through conversation, absorbed anecdotes — about a confusing and unorganized war – from intelligence officers, artillery soldiers, explosive specialists and more.

Here is my video, Mission Possible.”

Hey Everyone. Let me catch you all up. It’s been a busy three weeks and because of it I have a very cool development to share with you.

Though I”ll do a specific post for Erica-America a little later, here is what I did for MTV this week. It was origianlly posted on THINK, along with a short video — and serves as a brief introduction to the time I’ve been spending with a young group of DC based Veterans.

Young Surge in Anti-War Movement

Three Sundays in a row, at 4:00PM, I would pack all my gear, strap the tripod to the pack’s side and summon my inner EricaAmerica to come out and play. Thank karma she did, which made those afternoons of metro rides and shooting the shit with young Iraq Vets not just educational, but also a lot of fun.

This group house, by some measure, is the Real Real World. A place stocked with fruit snacks and beer , testosterone and girls. But in an UnReal World sense, these co-existors were more than just age-similar. They had all served in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11 and upon return, joined a fast-expanding group called the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). The house, on the Northeast side of DC, is not only their bunker, but the central headquarter for the business of IVAW’s grassroots operations.

I had my first dose of IVAW in action back in March, when I attended the Winter Soldier event. [see my video here] I was taken back by the candid, powerful, testimonies about the U.S.’s occupation in Iraq. I realized as I walked around the confernece exactly what IVAW was doing — reporting the war from the eyes and ears of a very young, elite graduation class. A class that received educations at the University of US Occupies Iraq and are now taking their diplomas to bring attention to what they call a criminal occupation and use of force.

There is a 22-year-old freckled Embassay Guard. A 19-year old college junior. A southern farmer with flow hair and a jewish political theory student. They are unlikely messengers. But they keep coming back with a message.

Over the three Sundays I went to the IVAW Group House, I listened for those messages. I captured three tapes, about five interviews and a whole lot of b-roll. While I kick off the process of importing, editing and producing it, I thought I’d share with you all this little sound bite from former Marine, Adam Kokesh. Kokesh has his own blog and attends Graduate School at George Washington University. In Iraq, Adam served on a Military Affairs team, which, he told me, “means we’re the guys shaking hands and kissing babies.” During the tour he also set up a store front to pay Iraq famliy grievance checks.

“Historically unprecedented,” he said. “We are actually paying people for losses.”

Here is the video…

Last Saturday was great. An afternoon I’ll always remember.

I produced a crumbled credential letter to get past security. I squeezed my pint-sized camera next to Reuter’s monster lens in the press bleachers — and I focused my camera.  Not everyday do you get to cover Hillary Clinton’s concession speech. It was a close, confrontational and critical Primary race — and I would be there to witness the end of it. I remember keeping my cool while thinking, this shit is going to be historic. 

 Originally posted to THINK.MTV.COM

Thanks to everyone who stopped to tell my camera their thoughts.  Definitely post a comment and let me know what you think about Clinton’s campaign, her endorsement of Obama or what her next steps might be.

On April 24th, Helen Thomas wrote in her weekly column, “if history repeats itself, the loser of this year’s presidential election will blame the news media.” [SEE FULL ARTICLE, "The Loser Always Blame the Media"]

With the recent case of Hillary versus Barack, Helen’s assessment was spot on.

Last Saturday I had a unexpected, and even scary, confrontation. I was interviewing demonstrators at the DNC Rules meeting and had spoken to about seven people on camera. All of them supported Senator Clinton and wanted the votes in Michigan and Florida to count.

After the interviews, I was getting b-roll when I saw a guy wearing an Obama sign. I hadn’t talked to any Obama supporters so I thought this would help round my story out. He said he would talk to me, so with that, we moved away from the crowd to a quiet area. And I started to roll the camera.

I didn’t know it, but this exchange, between me, “the media” and him “the Obama fan” would come to sum up the hostility Clinton fans have felt towards the media in this primary season.

Within a minute, Clinton fans spotted me talking to the lone Obama guy and lids started to flip. I was trying to focus on the interview but I couldn’t. Loud, confrontational slurs were being directed at me. I looked over and saw two aggressive Hillary fans only an arm length away from my camera. They started yelling into the lens “This is all your fault! You’re to blame! You and the media!”

To my silent and even confused look, they went on.

“Why are you interviewing this fool?…It’s always like the media to support Obama!”

I could hardly believe it. I mean, me? This is my fault? A million thoughts ran through my head. My heart raced. This was the second time during my MTV tenure as a one-man-band that my safety felt in jeopardy. Never during, but always after, I kind of love it. It really puts me in touch with how people feel.

Within a few seconds, two cordial Clinton supporters came over and walked them away. I turned back around and went on with the interview.

The story came back to me as the North Carolina Street Teamer, Carla Babb, wrote an article about whether or not the media had favored Obama over Clinton.

With that experience fresh in my mind, here’s what I think.

To Helen’s point, the loser (and the campaign supporters) might always blame the media. But as I experienced, the assertion that my work somehow reduced (or on the flip, improved) a candidate’s political standing, while quite complimentary, is not at all true. At least I don’t think it is.

But to the Democrats as a whole — hostility, especially directed at each other, is retro active in securing the November election. It would behoove Senator Clinton to make that known to her supporters. The finger-pointing, not always aimed in the right direction, digresses party unity.

And oh yeah, one more thing. I’m not the mainstream media. I’m a citizen journalist. SNAP.

So just what is a civil liberty and why should we care?

For my 23rd birthday, my Dad sent me a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In it, he wrote, “To Erica, Wash. D.C. From Dad 5/8/07.” Today, I carry it around in my Street Team backpack. I don’t know, it just feels right. If I’m ever in a bind and need to remind the force that I’m just doing my job, I’ll have backup. That’s right, I have rights. And I’m not about to let them be chipped away.

As much as my friends joke with me, we do. We all have rights. And though at times it sounds a little silly (dependent on when you yell out the statement, just ask my colleagues) there is never anything outlandish about the term, “I have my rights.” But today, more than ever, it’s important to realize what those are because they are being chipped away and justified.

So what are our rights? Well, when it comes to the First Amendment, we have the right to freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. We are also protected under the Bill of Rights to equal protection under the law (regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin), the right to due process, and the right to privacy.

When I went out and interviewed people last Monday about civil liberties and what they thought, I was up against the wall. Some of the responses were reiterations of the administration. “Well, in terms of national security, if it’s necessary, I’m OK with it.” Really? “Ok, I thought.” But once this war on terror is over, you’ll still have lost those rights. Are you OK with it then? More importantly, are they being taken away for the right reasons?

U.S. News & World Report picked up my Green Apple Fest video, which is just rockin’ news. They called it “A Star, the Pope and Earth Day.” When I was interviewed for a MTV News story about my experience, I had to gush about the interview with Chevy Chase and how off the wall it was.

In other news, techPresident, a political blog at the forefront of technology and election news, put together a humbling article on The Street Team and a bit of my work. For the sake of chronicling all of this awesome stuff, here’s the link to that too. It’s called “MTV News Still on the Cutting Edge of Political News.”

God I need to start sleeping more. Can’t wait (well, maybe I can) until a long nap in November. On the other hand, I’m having so much fun. I’m banking on the adrenaline (and nutritious meals from my roommate ;) to get me through this wild ride.

More than three thousand people came to the Green Apple Fest on the National Mall in Washington, DC on April 20th to celebrate Earth Day ‘08. Before the rain hit, causing the show to close early, I chased down the likes of Chevy Chase, O.A.R. and a ton of awesome concert goers. Check out the full size video here, on my THINK.MTV.COM profile.