Well, the focus sheet for Monday, January 14, 2008, 9AM, "Proposition 93- Term Limits" says I'm a co-producer, when really what I did was background research and pre-interviewing. But I learned a lot about local politics, and I got some folks up on the political pyramid to call in and talk. I'm expecting a spirited discussion, and can't wait to hear what Steve Westly and Kevin Spillane have to say. To have a tangible, notable contribution to something that's going to be on-air...it's kind of like having a by-line in the Guardian, small but no less important than any other contribution. I am proud to have my notes and research in the capable hands of producer Dan Zoll and guest host Rachael Myrow of The California Report. For the first time, I feel like my background work and my hours will prompt public discourse, induce conversation, which is really why I wanted to get into journalism in the first place.
Hopefully, both pundits call in on-time...
Monday, January 14, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
First Day at KQED...
I should preface this by noting there's a hilarious article in The Onion concerning internships...but no web version yet, I'll be sure to post it later.
I woke up at 5:30 this morning to finish some clips for the Guardian, and that was fun. I didn't get out the door until about 7, almost falling behind schedule on the first day. What a great impression that would have turned out to be.
Luckily, after maneuvering through the Mission District and some direction from an elderly garage worker, I found the KQED studios. Julia, my fellow Thursday-Friday intern, quickly familiarized me with documents and tasks. I basically followed her around like a lost sheep for the first hour.
My first uneasy moment came when Clara Jeffery, an editor from Mother Jones magazine came in to talk about gender politics and Hillary's run for the presidency. I told her that I had visited the Mother Jones office before...then let loose that I had interviewed for an internship there. Uh...awkward! Smooth, Kevin. Reeaal smooth. Mother Jones rejects end up at KQED apparently.
I was going to give a spiel about how I would be interested in applying for MJ but figured Ms. Jeffery, a stern-faced thirty-something, had more important things on her mind. I figured I had blown it with my "rejected intern" small talk.
The next meeting with guests at the 10AM hour went a little more smoothly. Jared and Susan Diamond came in, the former a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, the latter an author and former contributor to the New Yorker and the Los Angeles Times. I managed to actually engage in small talk this time around, touching on their appearance at the Herbst Theatre the night before. They seemed like genuinely nice people, towards the elderly side, experienced and wizened to the world. They remembered my name on the way out, which was nice to hear, a graceful endnote to remember them by. I even traded contact info with Ms. Diamond so she could drop some notes of wisdom for me and my green writing skills.
From 11AM onward, producer Dan Zoll had me work on getting guests for next Monday's 9AM show, featuring proponents and opponents for Proposition 93. I did not think one proposition could sustain my attention, but I took off on the project and was still going pretty strong by 5PM, especially considering I had been up nearly 12 hours.
Background research went rather well. I'd post some links, but I'm afraid I'd start arguing both sides, getting into messy details, yadayadayada. But I'll say this: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" really REALLY applies to politics. Folks on each side knew their counterparts like the back of their hands. The media contacts for the Yes and No sides had ideas on the hierarchy for the opposite campaign. It was interesting to note.
The recent presidential primaries, my first day at KQED, and numerous viewings of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report clips have got me more excited about politics than at any other point in my life. I feel like politics are more riveting than sports right now in terms of drama, highlights, scorekeeping, competition...You can't take your eyes off it! Too bad these wide-open national elections only happen after an incumbent leaves, which for the presidential races, is pretty much once every eight years...
Waking up tomorrow at 6:30 again. Hopefully I can secure some guests for next week's show...
I woke up at 5:30 this morning to finish some clips for the Guardian, and that was fun. I didn't get out the door until about 7, almost falling behind schedule on the first day. What a great impression that would have turned out to be.
Luckily, after maneuvering through the Mission District and some direction from an elderly garage worker, I found the KQED studios. Julia, my fellow Thursday-Friday intern, quickly familiarized me with documents and tasks. I basically followed her around like a lost sheep for the first hour.
My first uneasy moment came when Clara Jeffery, an editor from Mother Jones magazine came in to talk about gender politics and Hillary's run for the presidency. I told her that I had visited the Mother Jones office before...then let loose that I had interviewed for an internship there. Uh...awkward! Smooth, Kevin. Reeaal smooth. Mother Jones rejects end up at KQED apparently.
I was going to give a spiel about how I would be interested in applying for MJ but figured Ms. Jeffery, a stern-faced thirty-something, had more important things on her mind. I figured I had blown it with my "rejected intern" small talk.
The next meeting with guests at the 10AM hour went a little more smoothly. Jared and Susan Diamond came in, the former a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, the latter an author and former contributor to the New Yorker and the Los Angeles Times. I managed to actually engage in small talk this time around, touching on their appearance at the Herbst Theatre the night before. They seemed like genuinely nice people, towards the elderly side, experienced and wizened to the world. They remembered my name on the way out, which was nice to hear, a graceful endnote to remember them by. I even traded contact info with Ms. Diamond so she could drop some notes of wisdom for me and my green writing skills.
From 11AM onward, producer Dan Zoll had me work on getting guests for next Monday's 9AM show, featuring proponents and opponents for Proposition 93. I did not think one proposition could sustain my attention, but I took off on the project and was still going pretty strong by 5PM, especially considering I had been up nearly 12 hours.
Background research went rather well. I'd post some links, but I'm afraid I'd start arguing both sides, getting into messy details, yadayadayada. But I'll say this: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" really REALLY applies to politics. Folks on each side knew their counterparts like the back of their hands. The media contacts for the Yes and No sides had ideas on the hierarchy for the opposite campaign. It was interesting to note.
The recent presidential primaries, my first day at KQED, and numerous viewings of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report clips have got me more excited about politics than at any other point in my life. I feel like politics are more riveting than sports right now in terms of drama, highlights, scorekeeping, competition...You can't take your eyes off it! Too bad these wide-open national elections only happen after an incumbent leaves, which for the presidential races, is pretty much once every eight years...
Waking up tomorrow at 6:30 again. Hopefully I can secure some guests for next week's show...
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