A Close-up View as History is Made
January 20, 2009. The mall at the United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. President-elect Barack Obama is minutes away from taking the oath of office to become the nation’s first African-American president.
And Rebecca Neal is there, absorbing the moment as part of Gannett Inc.’s team of reporters assembled to capture the historic moment.
“I was in front of Obama in section 7, front row. I was next to the big boom cameras and television setups. It was completely unobstructed, and I could see all the swearing-in and proceedings without any trouble, probably 150 to 200 feet away,” recalls Neal.
“We could hear Obama without the microphone,” she adds, clarifying how close she was to the 44th president of the United States.
Not bad for a young reporter, less than four years out of the University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism and Telecommunications, where she covered the UK administration for the Kentucky Kernel and eventually became its assistant managing editor.
Today, Rebecca Neal is a reporter for the Federal Times, Gannett’s newspaper for federal government employees and managers, to which she was transferred last August from Gannett’s Indianapolis Star, her first job after graduating in May 2005.
“I’m the sole congressional reporter for my paper. If it happens in Congress, I’m there,” Neal says.
She spent several weeks before the inauguration becoming familiar with the new administration. “I’ve covered seven confirmation hearings for members of Obama’s Cabinet,” she says.
In the weeks since Obama’s swearing-in, Neal has helped her paper’s readers understand several major issues – including the new administration’s efforts to confront America’s economic crisis.
“I cover federal budgets and agency management in depth, and I’ve read the economic stimulus bills way too many times,” Neal says.
Still, she admits, there was something special about January 20.
“I started my day at 6 a.m., though in hindsight I should have left my apartment earlier. I live near the Pentagon less than two miles from the Capitol, and didn’t hit congestion until I was about a half-mile away. After that, it became impossible to move. A lot of people were wrapped up in the moment and were too busy taking pictures to get out of the way.
“You could tell those of us who were trying to get to work – journalists, staffers, service employees – because at one point we were just shoving people out of the way,” she remembers.
“I was wearing a suit and many layers because of the extreme cold, but at one point I just started jumping concrete barriers because the crowd wasn’t moving. I’m sure it was quite a sight.
“It took about an hour to get through security, because I had the highest-level credential allowing me access to the stage as well as access inside the Capitol before and after the inauguration. I went through three metal detectors, had my belongings dismantled and x-rayed, and was patted down before finally being allowed into my section at the base of the stage,” Neal says.
Later, Neal’s day involved covering the luncheon at Statuary Hall to honor President Obama. “Both Senators (Edward M.) Kennedy and (Robert) Byrd fell ill during the reception, so I rushed several stories online about them. Then I blogged about my inauguration experience, including the security backlogs and celebrities I’d spotted: Oprah, Jay-Z, Beonycé, Don King and others.”
Her day ended around 7 p.m. “The only thing I’d had to eat all day was a mug of hot chocolate. I stopped at a restaurant after I got off the train and fell asleep waiting for dinner,” Neal recalls.
The next day she was back on the job, covering a Senate Budget Committee hearing. “News doesn’t stop just because yesterday was a long day,” she asserts.
