The assistant professor of journalism chronicled the 2020 U.S. presidential election from Washington, D.C., and Delaware, closely monitoring breaking news from Joe Biden's headquarters.
As Election Day evolved into election night – and into the following day – Alex Luchsinger reported live from outside the Chase Center, headquarters for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Wilmington, Delaware. Contracted as a news correspondent, producer and videographer by EuroNews, a France-based television news network, the assistant professor of journalism spent more than 30 hours at the presidential hopeful’s headquarters gathering the latest news and results for an international audience.
A former associate producer at CBS News, Luchsinger is an experienced field reporter and spent several days broadcasting breaking news on the 2020 presidential election from Washington, D.C., and Delaware. Along the way, he accompanied the Biden campaign as it made low-key appearances, where the presidential candidate made his “Keep the faith” statement, which became widely publicized.
When President Donald Trump initially took a lead on election night, the mood in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington was quite “somber,” Luchsinger noted. But the next day brought a new narrative and a restored feeling of hope.
“When I spoke with people on the streets of Wilmington on election night the outlook was tepid at best,” Luchsinger said. “The next day I witnessed people carrying Biden/Harris signs and the enthusiasm was palpable.”
Two days after the election, when it had become clear that Biden had the necessary votes to win the presidential election, Luchsinger made his way to the U.S. capital. While in Washington, D.C., he encountered crowds gathered peacefully at the northern end of Lafayette Square, which was fenced off to prevent crowds from getting close to the White House.
“Horns honked, music played, and people sang and danced in the streets as Washington, D.C., police officers and Secret Service stood watch and directed traffic on H Street,” Luchsinger said. “I’ve covered four presidential elections and never have I seen so many journalists from various countries around the world represented. It was a big deal.”
During his tenure with CBS News, Luchsinger also served as a producer and videographer embedded with troops in Afghanistan. Afterward, he relocated to South Carolina to become special projects coordinator at WLTX-TV in Columbia, and later completed the doctoral program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina.
Before entering the media industry and academia, Luchsinger spent four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was wounded in combat in Iraq, received a Purple Heart, and was promoted to sergeant.
Luchsinger has had a productive 2020 as his new documentary, “First Chances,” has earned rave reviews at several film festivals. The 25-minute film highlights a California man’s entrepreneurial journey after spending nearly nine years in some of the Golden State’s most notorious prisons.