Public Radio Redux

I'm about to drive to Boone, NC to learn about quercetin. What's quercetin, you ask? Hopefully by the end of the day, I'll have a snappy, intriguing answer that will have you simultaneously craving an apple and thinking about its flavonoids.

Robert Krulwich is the master of inspiring curiosity in listeners who couldn't care less about science. That's pretty much my task, now that I'm a biotech reporter for WFAE in Charlotte, NC. Every month, I track down something unusual or surprising in the North Carolina biotech world. Today, it's the flavonoid quercetin and how it affects people under serious physical stress - like athletes and soldiers. Who knows, a sports drink that actually helps with immunity and mental clarity (instead of just printing it on the label) might not be too far off.

To help pass the time during my two hour drive to get the dirt on quercetin, I've put together a playlist of some of my favorite Robert Krulwich pieces. There are a few Radio Lab gems on the list, but one of my favorites is Krulwich's investigation into The Wonderful, Mysterious Yawn. Just make sure your boss doesn't walk by while you listen - there's no way you can make it through the whole piece without a giant, sleepy yawn.

I seem to be posting a lot of non-radio items these days, but when you come across something as good as web guru Charlie Nesson reading the introduction to Born Digital, a book by Berkmanites John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, you have to share with as many people as you can.

When I worked at the Berkman Center, John and Urs were in the very early stages of drafting this book, one of the outcomes of the Digital Natives project, a project that focuses on the implications of a generation "born digital" (those who grow up immersed in digital technologies). So I've read the introduction a few times. Never did I imagine it sounding quite like this. And that's all I'll say about it. Enjoy.

So you want to sound like Ira Glass. Here's a hint: Don't bother. If you really want to have a successful career in radio, you better find your own voice.

The idea that people sound best when they stop trying to imitate someone else is ubiquitous. It's practically a fact. Nearly every radio conference has a session on "Finding Your Own Voice." If you ask a radio pro for advice, they'll almost always tell you to "just be yourself." I've heard it so many times that I was surprised to learn that it sprung from the mind of just one man - David Candow.

Yesterday's Washington Post ran a feature on "The Host Whisperer", the guy who's responsible for much of NPR's sound. David Candow has coached everyone from Ari Shapiro to Scott Simon and his advice is so simple that it sounds like common sense:

- Don't imitate. You'll sound fake.
- Write like you talk. If you wouldn't say something in real life, don't say it on the radio.
- Leave your adjectives at home. Let your verbs do the talking.
- Pretend your having a conversation with someone, not announcing anything.

These rules are a tremendous departure from the "voice of God" newscaster of decades past. And yet, any young broadcaster worth his/her salt swears by them. Well done, Mr. Candow.

If Bryant Park Project taught NPR anything, it's that listeners like blogs. Especially young people. We love those blogs. We like to read and comment and enjoy the dinner party credibility boost of saying, "I heard on NPR..." -- just like adults!

In that sprit, NPR has launched two new blogs. The first is a pop culture blog (ugh - pop culture! how unsophisticated. oh wait, I secretly love the stuff). Linda Holmes is a very clever attorney-turned-MSNBC.com blogger. I was entertained by the venn diagram explaining the name of her new blog for NPR, Monkey See. Also, her dire warning against Rainn Wilson's new movie was greatly appreciated. While it's clear she's never watched an episode of Gilmore Girls, I'll definitely be adding her to my RSS reader.

The second new blog is from Rob Sachs, host of one of my favorite alt.NPR shows What Would Rob Do?. Rob's funny, honest and completely irreverent. I could go for more Rob in my day. While the first few posts haven't been stellar, I'm holding out hope. Rob Sachs is NPR's moral compass and I know he won't let us down. Let the pithy, NPR-worthy comments begin!

At last fall's Third Coast Festival Conference in Chicago, Neil Sandell did a session called, "Secrets, Whispers, and Lies: Crafting a Personal Documentary." It was one of the best sessions I attended at the conference, as Neil pulled back the curtain and showed how the producers at Outfront capture such personal and engaging stories from Canadian citizens every week.

For those of you less familiar with Outfront, it's a CBC program that invites listeners to approach them with the stories they want to tell. So, in that way, the producers at Outfront have an advantage. The person they are interviewing already wants to be there. There's no convincing them of the value of the experience, in having their story told. They are the ones wanting to tell it. So the techniques Neil described - having them complete sentences you start, having them imagine with their eyes closed the place where the story takes place - probably are a bit more successful in this kind of scenario.

As delegates and reporters flock to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, they may think twice about packing their cowboy boots. Denver has undergone a bit of a makeover since it last hosted a convention in 1908. It's fancy downtown is chock full of art galleries and coffee shops. And haven't you heard? Cattle are only driven through city streets once a year now.

While this piece about Denver's image feels a bit long, you have to give the reporter credit for saying Mayor Hickenlooper's name with a straight face. Check out these cowboy shirts he commissioned for every Democratic member of Congress. Yehaw!

I recently came across this article and accompanying video in The New Yorker (the magazine that most induced guilt in me, piling up faster than I had time to read it). Trapped in an Elevator explores the "lives of elevators," but perhaps the most captivating (and is what I've linked to) is the story Nicholas White, who spent forty-one hours trapped in an elevator in New York City’s McGraw-Hill building. He was working late that night and had left his office for a cigarette break, telling his co-worker he'd be back soon. The video here is a "condensed look" at what White experienced. Using just a haunting melody to accompany the security-camera images, what results is a powerful documentary of an experience that we have all probably feared at one point or another.

When you turn on Weekend America this weekend, things will sound a bit different. Sure, you could chalk it up to summer, when NPR hosts play musical chairs with their hosting duties. But a delightfully solo John Moe is what we'll hear from now on on American Public Media's Weekend America.

For about a year, hosting duties have been split between Bill Radke in Los Angeles and Desiree Cooper in St. Paul. It was an odd combination. The geographical distance made co-host banter a challenge. While both are top-notch hosts, sometimes it sounded like they'd never met. The show's real highlights included sound-rich pieces from indie producers as well as John Moe's weekly "weather" report, a tongue-in-cheek rundown of quirky events across the country. If you liked that segment, stay tuned for all John Moe, all the time, since he'll be taking over as the show's solo host this weekend.

Sadly, it looks like Bill Radke will be leaving the show. Too bad, I liked his style. Desiree Cooper will stay on as Senior Correspondent from her home in Detroit - good news for the environment, since she's been commuting to St. Paul for almost a year.

Well, goodbye Bill Radke. You will be missed. But I look forward to hearing more of John Moe's wit and creativity each weekend.

Before diving into this "story of the day" from July (clearly I have some catching up to do...), I just wanted to apologize for disappearing for a while. I knew that July and August would be nutty, what with camping/documentary trips (www.openroads.org) and wedding activities galore, but I had no idea just how busy these past several weeks would be.

So I'm back now (shout out to Jen Nathan for keeping the blog a-goin') and ready to get these ears back in action.

This short piece features performance artist Hillary Carlip, who collects discarded shopping lists and uses them as a basis for creating fictional stories and characters. And, as she explains, it's not just the items on the list that factor into her character assessment/development, but also the handwriting and the paper these lists are written on.

So next time you jot down your grocery list and leave it in your cart, be mindful that there might be a performance artist out there who is imagining who you are and then performing that character for all to see.

(Please note - Latest grocery list of mine [written on a yellow post-it in red ink] includes: 1 onion, toothpaste, toilet paper, Amy's burritos, chick patties, pirate booty.)

Only Robert Krulwich - the most creative science reporter in radio - could be tasked with this problem: Find 3 Nice Things to Say about Mosquitoes. At the moment, I have nothing nice to say about these buzzing, biting, vicious little creatures. Currently, I'm trying not to scratch the giant bug bite on my face - yes my face - not to mention the myriad of bites that dot my legs, arms, and ankles. Oh, summer in the South. But once again, Krulwich comes to the rescue.

With his signature wit and creativity, he finds not one, but three generous things to say about summer's favorite hellion. I suppose a true environmentalist would feel good about propagating an ancient species with one's very own blood, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming of a giant bug zapper.