C-SPAN Reports to School on News Coverage

The bright yellow bus arrived at Santa Susana High School filled with robotic cameras, state-of-the-art editing equipment and a miniature studio.

But behind the high-tech glitz of the C-SPAN vehicle lay a decidedly low-tech message for high school students Wednesday: Don’t let the media’s spin shape political views.

Hani Abughazaleh, 17, a Simi Valley High senior, said the visit by C-SPAN’s School bus will probably change the way he watches the news.

“Most of the news stations are biased toward one side,” he said. “I can make my own opinion about politics rather than watch a news conference that shows the network’s opinion about it.”

The 45-foot-long mobile television studio dazzled students with its remote-controlled devices and editing machines.

“It puts our equipment to shame at school,” said 17-year-old Nick Collins, a senior in Simi Valley High’s video-production class. “It makes us look like we’ve got a lot of PlaySkool stuff.”

C-SPAN’s bus stopped in Simi Valley as part of a nationwide tour to show students how the cable public affairs network covers events on the road, such as the 1996 presidential campaign.

“The election in ’96 was like the Olympics. That was a big deal for us,” said Roger Withers, who drives the bus to schools and various political events across the country.

“We’re event-driven,” Withers said. “If there was a rally or some political event that affects the majority of the nation, we’ll be there.”

With its talk-show set, studio lights and production capabilities, the C-SPAN School bus can hold face-to-face interviews with a mediator and as many as three guests at a time.

The broadcast signal from the bus, one of two the station operates, is beamed up to a geostationary satellite 22,300 miles above the Earth. It bounces the signal back to C-SPAN headquarters in Washington, D.C., where graphics and other effects can be added before reaching viewers’ televisions via their cable box.

Much of the discussion Wednesday centered on how the medium of television can put spin on political events and personalities with a little creative lighting and camera work, something nonpartisan C-SPAN strives to avoid.

“It’s not biased toward people, which is a real good thing,” said Erica Hecht, 17, a senior at Simi Valley High.

“It’s good that they show everything that’s going on instead of just showing the highlights,” said 18-year-old Shawn Forbis, also a Simi Valley High senior.