Posts Tagged ‘media’

There is lot more to journalism than smiling in front of a camera

Posted: September 12, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, media, personal, special events
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A few months ago I was driving home with the wife and son when I noticed a TV camera crew across the street from the Hospital.

My wife saw the look in my eye and insisted that I head home (we were less than 10 min away) I did that, grabbed my camera and a pad and ran off to see what was going on.

There had been an accident earlier in the day where a teen had hit a young kid, who was hospitalized. There was going to be a live shot so the young lady and her crew was setup in the parking lot across the street to shoot the segments for her report and some teases:

There was an awful lot of waiting around and trying to tweak presentations. It’s wasn’t a pleasant spot to be, the lights attracted the bugs but the shots needed to be made.

I talked to the crew guys, the discused going around in the truck, having to drop things on a moment’s notice to get a story and how on occasion it was awkward because once in a while you had to stick your nose in during a bad time for people.

The bottom line is these folks have more on their plate than you may be aware of.

I thought of this today when Kerry Picket of the Washington Times came by, she had come in to visit with us BLOGCON bloggers and hang out a bit. It was past midnight and most of us were relaxing.

I first met Kerry during the Brown campaign, Stacy had introduced us at the North End Brown/Guilliani event in the north end and Stacy Ran into her again at the Bill Clinton event and filed her stories on the subject from my dining room table and we of course saw each other at the victory party.

Kerry has a lot more street sense than I do having been many places and seen many things. As I’ve been grabbing everyone in sight I asked her if she would care to do one of my two minute (patient pending interviews).

It wasn’t so odd that she asked if I could catch her in the morning. I had asked several other people here for interviews and we did them at a more convenient time. No big deal, but the way that she did it struck me.

You never saw a person so regretful, she explained had been working hard, and was a bit run down and felt she wasn’t at her best, physically or mentally but she also said that she understood that she asks other people this very question every day and felt guilty for putting me off.

It was an incredible display of class and respect. I’ve asked local MSM people if they would do a short interview and was rewarded by the curt refusal, but only one other time had a reporter (one from Fox 25) decline with regret as he was running to file.

If you have read Kerry’s work or heard on Captain Ed’s show or seen her on Red Eye you know the high quality of her work, however I’m pleased that I can acquaint you dear readers of the high quality of her character.

Is this story at the Hill satire?

Posted: September 10, 2010 by datechguy in congress, politics
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If it is not then it says more about the fantasy world of Brent Budowsky than anything about the administration:

Within hours and possibly minutes I expect the president will name Elizabeth Warren to lead the new consumer protection agency, and if he does, the Democratic base will erupt and turn out to vote in far greater numbers than any current poll suggests.

I could be wrong; Obama might give up at the last minute, which would be the last betrayal of the Democratic base and very possibly the death knell of the Democratic House of Representatives. But if he names Warren, the pundits be will amazed, astonished and flabbergasted by the lift this would give to the Democratic base and by the voter turnout that would follow.

After all the one thing the American people are worried about is who is going to lead the consumer protection agency.

Assuming it is not a parody the amount of delusion necessary for such belief is ….interesting.

memeorandum thread here. Why does such nonsense have a thread?

Just one minute nails it:

I think Mr. Budowsky has lost the distinction between “the base”, live voters, and people with whom he Tweets, i-chats, and chirps. I have no doubt the nomination of Elizabeth Warren will prompt lefty bloggers to swoon, for a day anyway. But over in reality, the economy will still be what it is, and Obama will still be talking about something else and preparing his imminent pivot to jobs, jobs, jobs.

Has this guy ever met anyone who lives outside of the beltway?

Update: Professor Bainbridge maybe wrong about Sarah Palin but he nails it here:

This has to be about the dumbest piece of political prognostication I’ve ever read.

Look, I have tremendous respect for Elizabeth Warren. She is a very smart bankruptcy law professor with an enviable publication record and tremendous success as a policy entrepreneur. On the couple of occasions that I’ve met her, moreover, she has been unfailingly courteous and friendly.

But the idea that her appointment would turn around the fundamentals driving the 2010 elections is just absurd

I dearly hope that the left believes this nonsense, not only will it help them lose, it will make it very funny…”it’s not possible that we lost Elizabeth Warren has been on the job for three weeks!”

Robert Stacy McCain Scores big time:

Posted: September 3, 2010 by datechguy in blogs, media, opinion/news
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One of the things I discovered in my initial week with Stacy McCain back in January is that actually being there makes a huge difference because when opportunity knocks (or in this case rings)you are near the door to answer:

Getting an interview with Sarah Palin is difficult. Getting an interview with Todd is next to impossible, and I would never have gotten this far if mutual friends — including Anchorage conservative talk-radio legend Eddie Burke — hadn’t vouched for my bona fides. So most of the conversation over the next two hours is off-the-record, or at least on background. To breach that agreement would be to put myself into that category of reporters whom Sarah Palin recently described to Sean Hannity as “impotent, limp and gutless.”

Why is this possible? Because Stacy McCain took the risk and the chance to BE in Alaska, to meet conservatives there and to give them the respect they deserve and produces the reciprocity that makes this moment possible. What a spectacular reporter

Since the MSM is not smart enough to hire him as a roving reporter, I strongly endorse hitting his tip jar. Who else is going to do this for you?

If there has ever been a moment where I have been jealous of my own hat, it would be now. My hat has been to Sarah Palin’s house and I’m on a couch in Fitchburg. ARRUGH!

The big question. Is Todd Palin or Trig now a member of the Axis of Fedora?

memorandum thread here

Update: Stacy’s exclusive makes other reporters seem limp by comparison

Stacy McCain is in Alaska

Posted: August 31, 2010 by datechguy in blogs, elections, opinion/news
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following the Joe Miller recount story.

You know the blood pressure of Mrs. Other McCain not withstanding if more reporters did what Stacy does, that is , actually go out and report the media would be held in more respect.

That doesn’t mean that Dan Riehl isn’t doing his best from the lower 48.

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