There’s very little about the international press center in Cleveland that’s convenient or inviting. It’s located in a convention facility that’s 12 long blocks from the Quicken Loans arena where sessions of the Republican National Convention sessions are held. A shuttle ride between the two locations can take as long as a half hour when there is heavy traffic and when wayward protest marches stray off their approved routes. Which is often.

Inside the press center all news organizations have been allocated work space for their staffs. The size of the work space depends on how much they want to pay the convention center. Newsrooms are separated from one another by blue curtains hanging from portable pipe stands. The curtains are heavy enough to muffle most sounds, but it’s all aesthetically dull and drab.

Several television news organizations are using portions of their workspace to construct news sets for programs that are televised during the morning and afternoon hours.

MSNBC chose to abandon the press center and built two news sets in public spaces around town. MSNBC producers say they wanted to capture the activity and excitement by being out with the people. Good idea except when protesters raise a variety of signs behind the anchors.

The hardest-working sign-holder so far is a guy holding a sign saying “Socialism Sucks.” He’s getting the most air time. Very distracting. The Morning Joe program made the best decision by originating from a restaurant that includes polite customers sitting at tables in the background.

The Monmouth College workspace is located at “Position 207” in the special press filing center. We have our own six-foot table with an internet outlet and power for our laptops. Not elaborate, but we have everything we need.

In the evening all the networks originate their nightly news programs from anchor booths inside the Quicken Loans arena. But they’re not anchor booths anymore. They’re little more than three rows of seats that have been removed to make room for cameras and anchor desks. It’s all a far cry from the way things used to be.

Joe Angotti is a Monmouth College visiting distinguished professor of communication and former senior vice president of NBC.