7 Women in Journalism on Impeachment, Iowa, and the State of Their Snack Game
On sleep: Since the second official day of the [impeachment] trial began, I’ve been getting up in the mornings at 5 a.m., get into the office at 9 a.m., and then leave the office at 7 p.m. and then continuing to work until it’s over at 1:30 a.m. from home. The schedule is that [the senators] would go from 1 p.m. until about 9 p.m., if they took no breaks…and that’s not going to happen. We’re going as long as they’re going.
On running a literal marathon: I think this is the biggest impact that is happening—I still have to do my long runs. [Beesch will run the DC Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon on March 28.] This morning I had an eight-mile run; Friday, I have to do five; and Saturday, I’ll have to do 18. The trial will just change how much I’m able to rest for the next week or so.
On breaks: I usually just go get a coffee or take a walk around the block. I go into Union Station, if anything is still open.
On unwinding: Cooking and watching The Bachelor.
On making history: Working for C-Span is a truly unique experience at this point in our history, when so much of the public is divided on who to turn to for their news and information. The long hours can be jarring, but I feel grateful at this point in my career to be given the opportunity and responsibility to help cover an event of this magnitude.
Rachel Stassen-Berger, politics editor, the Des Moines Register
Stassen-Berger has been politics editor at the Des Moines Register since 2018. Before that she was capitol bureau chief at the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota.
On a normal work day: I generally wake up just before dawn, check my phones, and the work begins. My day at the office begins with a 9 a.m. news meeting with other editors, and then I go until I can go no more. [During the lead up to the] Iowa caucuses, I work seven days a week. Most of those days are long—between 12 and 14 hours.
On snacks: I am a snack provider, not a snack eater. I have six candy dishes (chocolate, wild card, hard candy, Starbursts, Altoids, and lollipops) and, currently, two mini gumball machines on my desk. I do nearly constantly chew nicotine gum (though I quit smoking more than a decade ago) and almost always have a big glass of water from which I guzzle.
On breaks: I don’t take actual breaks, but I occasionally break my concentration. And when I do, it’s to sing badly, groan at puns, and sometimes dance (also badly).
On unwinding: I’m currently streaming Bob’s Burgers. That and my lab-mix dog, the very smart and demanding Joplin, help me unwind.
On motivation: I truly believe in the work we do at the Des Moines Register. Covering the Iowa caucuses, being exposed to the people who want to be president and delivering needed news to Iowa, the nation, and the world is a thrill and an honor. The reporters and colleagues with whom I have the opportunity to work help make the work fun and inspiring.
Jenny Singer is a staff writer for Glamour.