Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Welcome to the Show
So... I was on NPR's Talk of the Nation today.
Nope, I wasn't working the show. I was on the show.
I was a guest... on Talk of the Nation.
HOLY CRAPCAKES, BATMAN!!!
I don't think I can understate how nervous I was. Little young thing, sitting in the studio with Neal Conan and Ron Elving, dudes who have been in the game for years. Not to mention, I was trying not to make any noises while the mics were on.
But, nerves aside, it was pretty friggin' cool. I talked about the last piece I wrote for TheRoot.com. And my cute Puerto Rican friend who works on the show gave me a thumbs up -- two actually -- when I was finished. So I was good.
But hey, stop watching me yammer about it and just go listen... here.
And just for the record... this TOTALLY made my day. :o)
Labels: broadcasting, diversity, political coverage
continue...Thursday, October 09, 2008
The Mike Huckabee story
"The terrorists," it has been said, "hate us because of our freedom." I could never quite get along with that statement for a litany of reasons. (Not the least of which is it makes absolutely no sense.) Were it true, they would surpass even a great hall of haters, that rogue collection of losers and scoundrels that draw faith from another's failure, pleasure from pain.I thought a more accurate depiction of the source of their hatred had something to do with how policy decisions affect real people. And our tendency to wash up with food.
It is the excess of Western culture that is really to blame for the enemies we seem to accrue like so much debt. Americans are a wasteful people. Avocado is a facial wash. We scoff at the sight of burnt toast. We are obsessed with a pop-culture phenomenon that consists of someone on throwing dollar bills that flutter down on people at a disco. All of it has programmed us to believe that there are rules of status – one of them being that they do not associate with us.
So when Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas who finished second to eventual nominee John McCain in a several primaries this year, sat down on the D train the other day, my thought was that it wasn't him. I was with a group that included my good friend Gary, a producer at NBC, Jennifer, a fashion designer, Lindsay, an accountant for a private dental practice and future dental student, and Patrice, a musician. "This guy," I proclaimed, "looks just like Mike Huckabee."
Patrice stared at him and suddenly was drunk with laughter. "Oh woooooow, he does."
The only problem, of course, was that he was Mike Huckabee sans press secretary, personal assistant or any type of security. He wore a blue shirt that had the initials M.D.H in cursive writing at the cuff and carried an unmarked bag that looked like it was take out from a cheap Chinese restaurant. After all, he had gotten on at Grand St. A man and woman came up to him.
"We're big fans of yours," one of them said, as if he was still on the campaign trail in Iowa. He thanked them warmly, naturally, and they sat back down.
"You know," I said, motioning to him to get his attention. "I'm sitting here saying", wow, this guy looks like Mike Huckabee. Now I feel like an idiot."
He laughed, and robotically stuck out his hand. "I'm Mike."
"Darren."
He mentioned a few tidbits about his show on Fox News, which is why he was in New York. "They treating you well up there?" I asked.
"Oh yes, just fine. Though I'm sure I'll say something sooner or later that'll cancel that out real quick," he said, alluding to his pension for controversial public comments. We all laughed.
Huckabee spoke with the sort of fluid cadence that was his mark on the trail, the type of speech that makes it sound like everything he says is funny. He asked where I lived. He mentioned that he visited a church in Harlem that he really enjoyed, then asked where we went to church. I gave the Kings Church of Christ, and our ridiculously talented minister, David Wilson, a huge plug.
"Mike Huckabee?" a 20-something guy with blond hair, stuck out his hand. He acknowledged him and smiled. "I like your style man!"
Flattered and maybe a little embarrassed, Huckabee motioned to all of us, saying, "I guess liking my style means that it's pretty cool that I'm riding the subway."
He widened his eyes and shrugged, as if not knowing what to say to that.
His actions said that status does not mean you have to be excessive.
"It's the easiest way to get somewhere."
The reporter in me came out eventually. I asked him what he thought about Sarah Palin's performance in the debate against Joe Biden on Thursday. He would refer to Sarah Palin as "Sarah." And Katie Couric as "Katie."
"I thought Sarah really helped herself," he said with gravitas, a sign that he is taking his job as a political analyst for Fox News seriously. "I mean, she was just dreadful with Katie. And I mean awful. I really like her and she's a terrific friend of mine but she was terrible."
He was close to his stop now. I asked if he'd be embarrassed if we asked for a picture. Gary had his camera. "Oh no, no not all."
So we took one big, black happy photo with Mike Huckabee on the D train.
Labels: for journalism's sake, political coverage, relationships
continue...Saturday, September 06, 2008
Election Reporters share tips, opinions
As I mentioned, I'm blogging live from the conference here.Here's a post I wrote earlier about a panel on election coverage. I thought the Q&A part would be helpful for our readers.
Election Roundtable: Q&A
A few questions and answers from the session....
Is who makes the most money really the best way to choose how you'll spread coverage around?
Sweet: Obama is a hometown guy; some candidates got more coverage than they deserved because they were interesting, etc.
There's not enough decoding of what is actually meant (should be done by reporters). There are not enough voices of color giving analysis or commenting (to give context like this).
The majority of top reporters covering politics at news outlets are white men over 50, says Jodi.
What do you read, watch, listen to, or not?
Felice: Loves Maureen Dowd, the Politico
Lynn: Mike Allen's Playbook at Politico, The Page (an aggregated site that looks at what moves the day), CBS/ABC aggregates, NYT, Wash Post, Chicago Sun-Times, and the links on her blog. She doesn't pay attention to one on one interviews. She needs places giving lots of information synthesized.
Beth: Mike Allen's Playbook, CNN, NYT for general coverage and Slate's XX Factor
Ann: Michele Cotta from the Republic, Rebecca Traister at Salon
Can the Obama campaign sustain the interest and energy?
Yes, they can sustain the energy, but will the young people who have mobilized for him really vote?? That's the question, said Beth.
Lynn Sweet: Term Obama uses is "intensity gap" -- they say they're ahead of McCain. Palin revs up Repubs the way Obama has done for the Dems.
Places like the Politico don't have the same resource base as the old media institutions -- are there going to be journos covering political campaigns in a new media world? What's our strategy to keep the journalism in the campaign?
Beth said they're doing partnerships with papers like St. Paul Pioneer Press and Denver Post. Also launching Politico network -- content and ad revenue sharing program that will launch on Tuesday. It all has to do with marketing and advertising. Can't see advertising is our enemy.
Labels: convention, election, journalism, McCain, Obama, organization, political coverage, primary, seminars/workshops, the industry, tips and tricks
continue...Connie Schultz, luncheon keynote speaker
I'm sure you've heard of this woman.Read stories most likely about her, but unless you're from Ohio, probably not by her.
I just heard her speak at the luncheon at the JAWS camp. A few things that stuck out:
- Why she didn't change her name: After telling a story about how her parents thought they were two nobodys who would raise four somebodies, she said she was "proud to have her name." Later, she told us about responding to people who suggest she should change her name and said she tells them that being married does not suck the opinion out of her. "I'd been boring myself because I stoped giving my opinion and instead, was giving his opinion." Her marriage didn't change her opinions, or mean that she couldn't be her own person
- "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes" -- Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers
- "We're in this business because we care," Schultz said. "We got in it not to make money; we wanted to change the world and I'm tired of apologizing for it.
- Race is the issue of this election (Schultz told us a story about how her dad was racist); it is more about having the hard vconversations with people we love and why we don't talk about it. The whole undercurrent is fear.
Labels: convention, JAWS, political coverage, seminars/workshops
continue...Thursday, August 28, 2008
Oh, the signs are everywhere
So, I should have said something.It's election time and everything is coming up screwy in the town I cover. A few weeks ago, one candidate had some signs stolen. Another supporter got his car egged and some signs stolen -- then called the police.
I wrote the initial story saying the signs had been stolen. The supporter told me a tip -- the car likely belonged to the former police chief and it was his daughters and another candidate's son who were in the car.
Okay. Here's where I messed up.
I took the tip and that's pretty much it. I didn't want to write about the signs and dragging these kids through the mud didn't seem like my idea of fun. So I didn't tell my boss.
*Gasp* *Shock* *Horror*
I know. Not the best move.
Fast forward a week.
Said supporter calls the main newsroom and gets the ear of another reporter. Said reporter tells his boss, who tells his boss, who calls my boss asking why we didn't know about this.
Well, we did. I just didn't say anything.
My boss agreed that the story didn't need to be reported, but today, said that regardless, I've got to be more transparent with information I have.
Yeah. I guess she's right.
Oh, and said reporter wrote the story. It ran in today's paper.
No one is pressing charges, it seems.
Labels: office politics, political coverage, relationships
continue...Friday, April 04, 2008
Tale of Two Stories
I'm feeling some kinda way even though I know its just me being bratty.
So, I busted my hump last week (before I went on vacay) to bang out a story on the 40th Anniversary of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I know you're probably thinking: MLK? In Rhode Island? Err?
Well, I'd pitched the story -- a look at how MLK has impacted the current generation and how his legacy is holding up -- a while back. Somehow, it got lost in the shuffle and they assigned another great reporter to do the story. Turns out MLK visited RI 3 times and, of course, he went to school in Boston. So it's not that far fetched.
Anyway, I hear about the reassignment, my boss lobbies for me, and the reporter (who had no clue I'd pitched the story first) and I work out a plan. We decide to do two parallel stories -- I'll focus on the young people and he'll focus on the civil righters who are still alive.
Great.
So I report, write and gather audio. The whole time, wires are crossed downstairs (codeword for "main newsroom"). Chaos ensues. (Okay, maybe not chaos, but some serious miscommunication.)
No one knows when the story will run - Sunday or today. No photographer shows up for my assignment at a local elementary school. My boss tells me to write like it's running Sunday. I'm amped because I know that with this much copy, they have to give us good play. Downstairs is concerned because there is no audio to go with the stories. I cull through my digital recorder files and hand over usable bits to them. They are grateful. I ask about getting a photog over to the elementary school to take some pics of the kids. I hear nothing back. In checking with the school to get the ages of some kids, I learn that a photog indeed, is at the school and is taking pictures.
Great! I think.
I leave to go on vacation and check the Web site online.
There is no audio. There are no pictures of multicultural children. From the placement on the Web site, I can tell the story did not get great play.
Sigh.
When I get into the office, before I log onto my computer, before I check my messages, I go an dget a copy of the Sunday paper. I look on the front for my blyine. I look inside. Nothing. I turn to the local front. There, above a story about a Curves for tattooed women, is my story about MLK's legacy.
I take solace in the fact that I did a story about MLK in Rhode Island and did it at least fairly well. I hear through my editor that the other reporter's story is going to run on the anniversary. The Web producers tell me they'll launch all of the audio on Friday. I smile and nod.
Today, when I picked up the paper, I felt like I'd gotten slapped in the face.
The anniversary was the A1 centerpiece.
The story, admittedly, was great. I enjoyed it. But I couldn't help but feel a pang of envy that this story got such great play (and the benefit of my audio in the package) while mine was relegated to the local front.
I'm not saying my story was as good as his, or as relevant. I'm just saying. I felt some kinda way because of the way the two stories were treated. I may not have any basis for this, but I know it's messed me up today something serious.
It's just kinda like, man.
That sucks.
*Kicks an errant can in the office*
Labels: dismay, frustration, musings, political coverage
continue...Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Race debate in political journalism
I find it hard to believe that a majority of journalists (of any color), who have never been to a predominantly African American churches, could ever look at the comments that Rev. Wright gave in church with the appropriate nuances.Most take the sermons in snippets and then make a generalization about what was really meant. This is piss poor journalism.
When will this country (and the journalism industry) be ready for a real look into why diversity is needed in the newsroom and on the TV?
Would not a Black or Hispanic reporter, who grew up going to African American churches, be able to steer news coverage away from vilifying the often controversial, rambunctious, fiery comments that flow from the mouths of African American preachers Sunday after Sunday?
"...diversity is a business imperative." - Walt Swanston, Director of Diversity for NPR
Labels: journalism, political coverage, race issues, Rev. Wright
continue...