Do you support the troops?
Nice bit! Keep it up. I like the underlying irony.
Rich Meitin
www.richmeitin.com
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1038
Please stop by!
Man-on-the-street is a cliche, because it works! The guy who wanted to kill everyone...he sounded pretty scary. What's that mysterious tag at the end?
The "man on the street" approach is just not at all original. I ask myself two questions after listening to the audio clip. #1 How many people of the populus who are not politically affiliated would publicly admit to not supporting the troops with a microphone in front of them, and #2 Was the topic of choice picked by the host because he knew it would be a favorable topic with voters and therefore draw votes accordingly.
During a contest I would vote higher for something with a more original approach and a topic that would draw varing responses from the public and conversation inspiring perspectives. This would not only make the show more interesting, but test the host when he doesn't share the opinion of his guest.
Voice is right on, tone is good. Since you are from print you need to type fast, but I would slow down for radio.
Kudos to you, Good Luck !!!!!
Great example of showing rather than telling.
I'm glad that you let their answers speak for themselves.
Nice!
I'm a Punk Knitter!
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1320
I'd like to hear this sort of piece extended into something larger. Well presented, and I agree with your comments about YOUR natural human response, just go with it, while trying to notch up the H-word, I suppose, whatever THAT entails...
Good luck!
Be Baffled By Bafflegab!-->
www.publicradioquest.com/node/1319
"All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy" - Spike Milligan
Tracy: Thanks for your condensending (SP) note about my condescending tone! Just kidding. Seriously, I appreciate the comments. I think you raise a good point. I come from a magazine writing/documentary producing background and have never really been trained as a radio reporter. What I'm trying to do is a little more raw than what you usually find on NPR. I find that most people on NPR try to sound like Ira Glass and their individuality is lost - their personalities get flattened out into a sort of forced quirkiness. I don't think I was being condescending when I said his answer was honest. I was giving an honest, human - surprised - response to what was a surprisingly candid answer. The guy knew he was being shocking when he said it, and I reacted as I think most people would. That's not being condescending. Interestingly, I find that the crown queen of NPRland, Terry Gross, is also the most human. She's not afraid to let her emotions get involved in her interviews and mix it up with her guests.
That's true about Terri Gross, but (and I use to work for public radio) there have been complaints that she does go overboard. To her credit, she does take criticism well and adjusts. To my reply, you do seem to care about your craft and I love that. Just to tell you that you can be a pitbull and ask the tough questions, but even a pitbull has rules as well.
The voice and the question so simple yet complex. I really thought about this and overall, it's very good. Now be careful of saying "That's an honest answer," "Very interesting," etc. I think that made the setup condensending that you were looking for your answer. Remember, this is public radio, the people you're asking should know the answer and let them. What you can do is follow-up on the questions, but don't sway the audience by adding little lines. You got potential and a great upstart, you just need polishing.
I also agree that your fearlessness is a really great quality you have. I'd be very interested in listening to other topics you might ask people about.
Please check out my submission and tell me what you think.
I wish you the best in this quest. You have a thought-provoking topic. You should put it in the proper hands. Great job!
Career Conversations
www.PublicRadioQuest.com/node/744
Stephanie C. Harper, PHR, CCP, CHRM
Author, Career Expert and Speaker
www.StephanieHarper.com
Thank you all for taking the time to comment. There was a lot more material. It was difficult to get down to 2 min. If any of you are in NYC, I'm doing a live version of my show, The War Room, on Tuesday night. For more go here: http://anthony.gnn.tv/blogs/23192/Wolves_Book_Launch_Party
This is a really good example of hostiness, the ability to fearlessly ask difficult questions of strangers. I like the way you put this together, especially the Dr. Strangelove quote at the end. Nice job!
--
Julie
please check out my entry at http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/148
Very thought provoking. Too many times you hear people say Support the Troops and they don't realize what that means. You can not support the trrops through words alone. They need many items. This is a subject very dear to my heart. Go to my website http://www.jaxrockradio.com and click on the Operation Helmet link to find out how you can help more. Thanks for caring. I hope to see you in round two.\m/-TA2-\m/
I liked that you showcased a variety of answers. Too often, when a person asks questions like that, they edit the answers to make the average Joe or Jane look rather dumb, or to give answers that support their point, or some such.
Great question. Simple tactic, but I loved it. I really enjoyed listening to the answers, so it held my interest throughout. People are fascinating. They hold convictions often without reason, like they are regurgitating some sound-bite they never quite digested. You managed to highlight this tendency without sounding like a know-it-all or some in-your-face soap-box preacher, because you just let these people represent themselves and their ideas. Good journalism and a great choice for this competition. You've got my vote.
Elizabeth Ziegler
News Director
KISU-91.1 FM Pocatello, Idaho
Lappe's question is very simple and cuts to the heart of the hypocrisy of supporting the troops in spirit but not in deed. I support the troops is a bumper sticker and every politician's favorite credo. The words flow easily but what do they mean? For most Americans, whose family members are not fighting, it means well wishes and nothing more. In previous wars Americans went without common foods, our factories produced munitions instead of SUVs, our banks sold war bonds. Most importantly, in previous wars many were drafted and gave their lives.
What have we given this time? What has it really cost us? And what do we really owe the men and women who fight for us?
It's a gutsy choice for his intro piece. I applaud it.
Anthony,
Everything I wanted to say about your audio entry was already eloquently put by 'bobfamous'...
You ask the hard questions, and expect more than just a political, rote answer... Daring, fearless, and in my opinion, -needed- here in America.
How do I support our troops?
- By asking after a co-worker who's son was serving over their in a Marine Battalion, every chance I could get. Taking an active interest that his son was okay and still alive, and feeling relief that the son was intact, and not shattered by an IED or car bomb.
Luckily, damn-luckily, the most my co-worker's son took from Iraq were several metal slivers of shrapnel in the buttocks from a near-miss of an RPG.
- If I happen to meet a returning member of the Armed Forces, and if they will have it, I want to shake their hand, and thank them for joining, going in my stead when I didn't heed the call, placing their life in danger, all to protect me, my wife, my son, my co-workers, my neighbors, and my way of life.
And I wouldn't so it with just one; Every member I meet deserves the same respect, regardless of where they were stationed, and what action they saw. I've so far done it with one retired marine, and a Army Air Corp survivor of the Bombing of Pearl Harbor.
- And I support a summary withdrawal from the 'meatgrinder' that Iraq has become. This may be biased by what the news media feeds me, but it only seems more men and women are lost in Iraq every day, and nothing the U.S. Military is doing there seems to help or improve the situation.
Is that enough, Anthony? Or should I be doing more?
- Wayne Powers
"Surly to bed, surly to rise, makes you about average..." Unknown
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/5408
Nice clip..interesting responses. I've always enjoyed your radio voice A.
Seriously though, does supporting the troops necessarily involve public disclosure of what is being done to help them?
Keep on keepin' on.
e
Well Thon, if you still read GNNs forum and blogs in between your real jobs, you will realize that what's left of the GNN community is comprised of semi-literates. The proof is right here, a couple of posts below.
Pete - Thanks for your help. Is there a way to edit the description? This is a highlight from a show I've been developing called The War Room.
Everyone else - thanks for the words of support. It's pretty intimidating seeing how many NPR-ready voices there are in this comp. I'm going for a little more of a raw vibe - I'm glad you're feeling it.
Lastly, I'm glad to see my semi-literate internet stalker has found his way to this competition. It's not a party 'til he shows up.
Hey Anthony — glad you got this audio working. Interesting, honest interview. Good luck in this competition!
"Do we support the troops?"
That is a pretty dumb question.
We are supporting them and we were supporting them with our tax money.
Hey Thon, how about asking the people on the street for new food recipes? That could be intersting? You could be the next Jay Leno doing the Jaywalking but instead you could call it Lapwalking...
Maybe you should ask people on the street if they know for whom did you work for in the past:
http://sundaymag.ca/index.php?id=435
"I supported the war because I was watching the stock market..."
Almost forget people like that really exist...
That was a good segment. Very honest.
took me right to the scene... made me wince, laugh, wonder out loud. when's the next one coming?
Asking people how they back up their rhetoric with concrete examples is ALWAYS educational.
If only we had more folks in the interviewing biz willing to do just that. It's simple, it's effective and it's too d**n rare.
Best bit of interviewing I've heard so far.
The best of good luck to you!
*n*
"The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about" - Oscar Wilde
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