Most of my time is spent behind a desk or running around the newsroom. I therefore jump at the chance to go out in the field, especially if I get to use some of the new technology the company has equipped me with.

For the special elections Tuesday night, I covered the 20^th District candidates for the West Hartford News, one of the papers we run out of our office.

After a quick stop at one of the polling places around 8 p.m., I situated myself at a table in a private room at The Corner Pug in the Elmwood section of town, where the Democratic candidate who was slated to win was expected to meet and celebrate with his friends.

My Netbook with Verizon wireless access was set up, and I had my iPhone, regular cell phone and Nikon D3000 camera out on the table.

In addition to writing, Tweeting and Facebooking the 20^th District election for the weekly West Hartford News, which was going to print that same night, I was also in charge of posting news alerts and Tweets for the 13^th District Senate race and the 36^th District House seat so the Middletown Press staff could focus on getting the print paper out.

Next to me sat a reporter and photographer from a competing weekly newspaper. After polite introductions, we started discussing digital media and the changing newspaper industry. The reporter, who was only carrying a notebook and a Canon, said his paper doesn’t believe in putting the news on the web because it devalues the print content for the advertisers.

So while I posted my stories to the web, e-mailed the appropriate editors at the office, took video with my iPhone and e-mailed it from the phone directly to our new video platform Syndicaster, received texts from other reporters about the results of their races, then walked around the room with my Netbook to make sure I had people’s names spelled correctly, the other reporter feverishly scribbled notes on paper, snapped a couple of shots with his Canon and then told me he was heading home so he could write his story.

I spent an extra hour at The Corner Pug making sure the video had uploaded correctly and was embedded in the story, then updating the story with more information as the winning candidate had granted me a longer interview after the immediate frenzy had calmed down.

When I was ready to head out, I sent a text message to a friend saying, “You were right. Joe Verrengia won the election.” She wrote back, “I know, I already saw it on your website.”

I packed up the technology and drove home.