On the dramatic day The Wall came down—November 9, 1989— I got a call from my boss at ABC News Radio. “Get on tonight’s flight to Berlin.” For a young network news reporter, it was a dream assignment. Over the next two weeks, armed with a portable cassette recorder, notepad and microphone, I covered many … Continue reading What Happens When the World Changes in a Single Day
Welcome to the presidential debate season. This evening, tomorrow, and then over 16 long months, several dozen proposed debates will occupy much of the news media’s fevered attention. Millions of us will tune in, but we may well be disappointed. Instead of informed, insightful coverage of complex issues and character of the candidates, the debates … Continue reading 2020 Democrats Debates Will Disappoint. Here’s Why Podcasts Are So Much Better.
I’m listening to Michelle Obama read her audio book to me. I’m on my own with my headphones and so is she. I picture the former First Lady sitting upright and calm, with good posture, in a small sound-proofed recording booth with a cool glass of water by her side, alone with her thoughts and … Continue reading The Michelle Obama Example: Why Book Publishers Should Make Podcasts With Their Best-Selling Authors
In an increasingly crowded field of Monday-to-Friday podcasts, “The Daily” from The New York Times is still the most popular news show, with about 1.75 million downloads per episode. According to one estimate, the number of daily podcasts has more than tripled in less than two years. The competition now includes news shows by NPR, … Continue reading Daily podcasts are booming. But here’s why some will fail…
If you want to start a podcast, the barriers to entry are low. Good equipment is cheap and there are plenty of smart, simple “how to” guides to get you and your organization in the game. But what most experts and consultants won’t tell you is that to be successful, your podcast needs soul. You … Continue reading Podcasts: When The Missing Ingredient Is Soul.
Viewing art helps me take a fresh look at the world. Painters do it all the time. They deconstruct the objects, landscapes and people they see - putting them back together again on canvas. Reimagining the world. What a brave and profound thing to do. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would do the same thing … Continue reading How Do We Fix It? After We Smashed the China
Retired steel workers union boss Lou Mavrakis is the Democratic Mayor of Monessen, Pennsylvania. In 2008 he campaigned for Barack Obama. This year he's supporting Donald Trump. "You're in the heart of where steel and coal was born," Mavrakis told Martha Raddatz of ABC News. But most of the good jobs have gone and this faded town's population collapsed from … Continue reading How Do We Fix It: Time to Stop Sneering At Donald Trump Voters.
Unscripted comments often give us the worst moments of the Presidential campaign. Look no further than the embarrassing Republican debate in early March, when Donald Trump bragged about his penis. But once in a while a tense, uncomfortable encounter can turn into a civics lesson. And so it was when Bill Clinton stood up … Continue reading How Do We Fix It? How Bill Clinton Smashed the Passion Gap
The results are in from the latest batch of primaries. Once again, the year's most surprising trends persist: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are doing far better than pundits, pollsters and elites had expected. Despite a furious and well-funded campaign against him by the Republican establishment, Trump trounced his rivals in Mississippi and Michigan. … Continue reading How Do We Fix It? What Elites and Pundits Don’t Know About The Rest of Us.
Ready for a word that Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders would consider to be an obscenity? Compromise. Insults, anger and disgust are in, while deal-making, compromise and governance are so old school. We're all too busy having a national hissy fit to sit down and do the boring, important stuff. My friend Mark … Continue reading How Do We Fix It? 2 Cheers For Compromise
Here Hear! 