Election coverage

Mustang News has served Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo community for more than 100 years, whether it be by the name Polygram or Mustang Daily and everying in between. The organization has allowed students to gain experience in the field of journalism before they go out into the world beyond college. Here you can see a behind the scenes look at how an award-winning, student-run media organization covered the 2018 Midterm Elections, from local elections to national news.

In the field

On Oct. 16, Mustang News photographer and journalism sophomore Kylie Kowalski and news reporter and journalism junior Ashley Ladin met with mayoral candidate T. Keith Gurnee at his San Luis Obispo home for an interview. Before the interview began, Kowalski asked Gurnee where he felt his yard was the most scenic. <br>

After taking a dozen or so photos, Kowalski narrowed down her selection to three photos, which she edited and then uploaded to Dropbox for Mustang News photo editor Zach Donnenfield to review.<br><br>

Ladin sat down with mayoral candidate and long time San Luis Obispo resident Gurnee to get to know the man behind the ‘For Our Neighbors’ campaign. Before diving into his policies, Ladin asked why he went by T. Keith. “My brother and I are both named Thomas ... my parents had one too many martinis when naming me,” he said to Ladin with a laugh.<br>

Gurnee is a city and regional planning Cal Poly alum and holds the record for youngest city council member in San Luis Obispo, being elected at age 23 while still attending Cal Poly. “I would like to see somebody break my record,” Gurnee said to Ladin. “I’m the only student that has ever gotten elected and that was back when you had to be 21 to vote.”<br>

Gurnee listed off reasons he wanted to run for San Luis Obispo mayor. In his top three priorities were bike lanes, cost of housing impacted by Cal Poly students and keeping San Luis Obispo’s quaint character, he said.<br><br>

Prior to her interview with Gurnee Ladin sat down with mayor Heidi Harmon, who won her reelection campaign, and asked what policies she disagreed with Gurnee on. Ladin said she then asked Gurnee the same about his opponent.<br><br>

“I really wanted to talk about how he built his home.” Ladin said after interviewing Gurnee.“Right when he said ‘Oh, I planted those trees,’ the first thing I thought in my head was ‘I need to write about how he literally has roots in SLO.’ Like I immediately thought of that, which is kind of a fun little editorial thing which also shows his character and his background a bit.”

In the newsroom

Ever wonder why journalists love what they do, even when it means staying in the newsroom until midnight? Click on each image to hear business administration junior and Mustang News Editor in Chief Austin Linthicum, journalism junior and news reporter Aidan McGloin and journalism senior and Social Media Manager Lauren Ardent, go "on the record" about their favorite part of election night.

Austin Linthicum | Business administration junior & Editor in Chief

Aidan McGloin | Journalism junior & news reporter

Lauren Ardent | Journalism senior & social media manager

Behind the scenes

This year Mustang News hosted their first ever mayoral candidate debate. Mayor Heidi Harmon and challenger T. Keith Gurnee fielded questions from Mustang News moderators. Journalism senior and Chief Anchor Connor McCarthy explained why he felt the debate needed to happen.

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