PBS NewsHour Executive Producer Sara Just recently sat down with TVNewser to talk about what audiences can expect from the show on election night, given the highly publicized uncertainties over how the vote will be tabulated and reported out, as the nation goes to the polls during a pandemic.
When it's all over — and few are predicting when even that might be — officials expect a record number of mail-in ballots will have been used, and several media outlets have reported a record turnout for early voting, which some states made available for the first time this election cycle.
Just shared with the PBS Public Editor's office her responses to TV Newser's questions. The interview was published in the magazine's TV Newser feature Oct. 29.
Here are the questions and answers, unedited.
What can we expect from PBS NewsHour Election Night coverage that we didn’t see in 2016?
Sara Just: Overall, our team has grown since 2016 – and we are working even more closely with the vast network of over 330 PBS stations around the country to bring their reporting into our national coverage and to share our graphic and video assets with them to support their coverage of races in their communities. These public media reporters know their communities best and throughout the night, in addition to our national reporters and analysts, we will be turning to them for insights.
Additionally, we have been working to unite our broadcast and digital work to maximize efficiencies in our newsroom and expand the audience who consumes our journalism. The election is one important part of that. We are launching what we are calling our “Graphics Hub” that will create graphics for all social media, digital and broadcast platforms together. Whether you watch us on your PBS station or YouTube or follow us on Twitter or Instagram – you are getting the same great content and design.
To what extent has Covid changed how you’re covering the big night?
SJ: COVID-19 has significantly changed how we are doing all of our work these days, with some 90 percent of our team working from home since March. For November 3, we will have a slightly bigger team in the studio — it is, of course, our most complicated production of the year. But our top priority remains safety and we are taking every precaution possible. Almost all of our reporters and analysts will be outside of the studio that night, joining us from homes and other locations around the country.
How have you determined what you want to do in person vs. remote?
SJ: Our main priority is safety and on election night. Just like every other assignment, we are evaluating what is gained from being in the studio and what is lost by being outside of the studio and balancing that calculus ahttps://www.pbs.org/election-2020/gainst the risks. Because we have so many remote guests and incoming feeds, we decided we need to have our anchor, Judy Woodruff, in studio, along with our senior national correspondent Amna Nawaz and political correspondent Lisa Desjardins, where they can interact with the large graphic wall we will be using. Our regular political contributor Amy Walter will also be with us in studio analyzing it all. Everyone else will be in the field or joining from home.
This year’s election may not be decided on Nov. 3, or even Nov. 4. Do you have coverage plans set if this goes on for longer than usual, and if so, what are they?
SJ: As of now, we're slated to stay on broadcast until at least 2 am ET//11pm PT on Nov. 4, but it may likely be later. We will stay on the air as long as we feel the story can be advanced. If at some point in the night, there is no imminent decision on the major questions of the night, we will sign off from broadcast and re-direct viewers to our online coverage. We will be back the next day with PBS NewsHour and, if needed, will return if another primetime special is warranted that week. Those decisions will be driven by events.
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PBS NewsHour's online coverage can be found at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/.
PBS created a one-stop website for election news coverage, which includes the NewsHour as well as WASHINGTON WEEK and FRONTLINE and several special programs, where viewers can access all election-related programming and information.