Hosts Chris Moody and Vanessa Yurkevich are taking a unique approach to this trip, which will feature stops at every debate site. To be specific, Moody told us that he and Yurkevich plan to “shut up and listen.” He was careful to point out that he didn’t mean they are just going to listen and respond, either. They are going to listen to learn from a group of citizens who are often underserved by the media. There is
“The whole goal is to get out of the campaign bubble,” he explained during the camper’s latest stop. The vehicle — which is decorated so well with pictures of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump that staffers from competing networks were selfie-ing with it — was parked outside of Hofstra University during last night’s presidential debate and as he showed off its features, he was happy to talk about the #MyVote cause.
What are those features? Well, you already know that the program is a partnership between Instagram, Facebook, CA Technologies, and CNN, so maybe you can guess.
Upon arriving to the camper, a person can sit at an anchor’s desk and rig their phone up to a holder that will enable them to do a Facebook Live stream during which they can let their friends and family members know exactly how they feel about the election. After that, they can head into a photo booth that comes complete with a wide screen, a countdown timer, and a circle light so they can see themselves and get the perfect photo against a red, blue, or purple backdrop. The screen will prompt them for an email address and they’ll soon receive their picture, which they’ll be encouraged to share on Instagram using the hashtag #MyVote.
Wondering where else the photos go? They will be uploaded to Facebook by CNN and will also be
Neither Moody nor Yurkevich seems to know what sort of stories they will find as they talk to locals, but that seems to be the point. “Don’t the best stories always seem to be the ones you don’t look for?” Yurkevich wondered aloud as the #MyVote production team set up the projector to count down the minutes until the debate.
Follow along via CNN Digital, CNNGo, Facebook, Snapchat, the hosts’ Twitter accounts, and, of course, the #MyVote hashtag. You don’t have to be at the camper to contribute, either. If you have something to say, upload it using the hashtag! Moody and Yurkevich are ready to listen.
[images via Lindsey Ellefson]