In the media pack

By the time Palin took the stage -- she's speaking now-- we are somewhat smushed, those with electronics -- small cameras, digital recorders and the like, having pressed forward to the gate. I have retreated back to my spot. Roberson was smart to bring earplugs. The sounds, from the pre-event music to the rallied-up crowd, are at times deafening.

The Southeast Missourian has pulled out all the stops to cover this event -- check out the steaming video or Matt Sanders' blog -- most of the reporters are dispersed throughout the Show Me Center.

A six-member delegation of journalists from Croatia, including Radio 101 journalist Maja Surina, of Zagreb, is here, shepherded by Stacey Woelfel, news director for KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo., and so is Joao Paulo Baltazar, a journalist from Radio Noticias in Portugal, who happened to be traveling up the Mississippi River for an unrelated story, just like NPR's "All Things Considered" host Melissa Block and producer Andrea Hsu.

Antony Botto, from U.S. State Department is hosting a TV crew from Angola Public Television, "doing a whole story about the election," he said.

Among the locals are Christina Fox, 19, representing the Capaha Arrow, Faune Riggin of KZIM and the folks from KFVS. More about the hometown crews in a bit....