The Moth Radio Hour: You've Gotta Hear This!

So I'm driving home from Salem tonight, and as I frequently do I turn on NPR to fill the next 50 minutes to an hour before I get home. And I catch the last minute of some guy describing how he became the bat boy for Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees. Bummer, I missed most of that...

That's OK, next up is a woman telling about her summer vacation with the Kennedys. Only it's more like spying on the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport. And I nearly have to pull over to the side of I-5 because I'm laughing so hard at this woman recalling what it was like to be 9-year-old on summer vacation -- with her aunts and their binoculars and the Kennedys a few doors down...

But nothing could prepare me for what came next. The nice lady on The Moth Radio Hour introduced the next storyteller with a warning that what I was about to hear might be too much for me to take. Oh please...

She wasn't kidding. A few minutes earlier I thought I might have to pull over to laugh. Now I thought I might have to pull over to cry at the tale of "Tonight Show" comedian Anthony Griffith sharing the ultimate heartbreak. I won't spoil it, you can let me know what you think after you take a listen.

"I think it's the next big huge hit in public radio," Garrison Keillor notes in a little teaser at the top of The Moth Radio Hour homepage. After hearing Radio Hour 1, I couldn't agree more. As usual, this is something that's been around for a while and it's only now that I'm catching on. Better late than never, as they say...

-rp-

In Search of the Credible News Source

The editor of the Commuter, Ryan Henson, is working on a story about media credibility and trust, and how news consumers can find what they need, namely, reliable news and information.

In his quest, he sent me a couple questions for comment. Here's how I responded:

1. What are some responsible ways that we, as citizens, can stay informed?

The best way to stay informed is to be open to a diversity of news and information sources, from NPR to newspapers, both print and online; from cable TV to network newscasts; from local TV news to area radio; as well as magazines and the advertising all around us.

Too often we get locked into the same sources of information, which can restrict the points of view we read, see and hear. It's immensely beneficial to be aware of what all sides are saying, especially on controversial issues, such as health care, the bailout and spending on higher education.

2. How do you feel about the current handling of news events by the media? If anything, what should they do differently?

Different media appeal to different people. While I may not agree with opinions expressed on CNN, or NPR or Fox, there are many other information consumers who do. Media is a business, after all, and one of its chief concerns is building and maintaining an audience.

In the end, each media outlet establishes its own level of credibility. It's up to consumers to decide how much they are willing to believe. That's why it's so important for people to be savvy information processers. Don't believe everything you see, hear or read. Get the whole story before making up your mind.

How would you answer Ryan's query?

-rp-

(Photo credit: "Trust" by SeenyaRita courtesy of Flickr.com)

Stories Soar Through Personal Connections

As I work with young reporters in the journalism program at Linn-Benton Community College, one of the things I stress is honing the ability to tell a good story. I find among the best news and feature stories are ones that not only focus on a compelling person or topic, but also engage us because the writer has a personal connection to the subject.

From the first words of "How a Professor Taught Me to Consult My Stomach," I was captivated by Barbara Bradley Hagarty's admiration for her college professor, Dr. Stocking:

I remember sitting in Shakespeare class, basking in my good luck. The wait list was nearly 100 people, but here I was, a new student at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., watching the legendary Fred Stocking in action. In 1979, Dr. Stocking was a year shy of retirement, an icon to four decades of students in this small college in the Berkshires. He was lean and meticulous, with a bow tie and thick white hair, and he lived Shakespeare — doting on Puck, thundering through Hamlet, and lifting our gaze from the crass pursuit of A's to the beauty of weathered truths.

He encouraged me to make writing my career, and then unwittingly shaped that career. ...

What a wonderful picture Hagarty creates. Of course, this being the age of new media, this NPR story online is accompanied by a portrait of the professor and the audio version features him speaking as well as singing.

Yes, I'm a softy for features like this one, and the ending doesn't disappoint. You might want to grab a Kleenex.

Some of my students have achieved similar success weaving their personal connections to their subject into their writing. One student wrote about an experience at a drug rehab center for teens, while another regular writes about family, faith, politics and other topics on his blog.

Their writing succeeds because they didn't settle for sharing "just the facts." Instead we get to spend a few moments in their shoes, experiencing life through somebody else's senses.

As a new term approaches, I'm looking forward to working among another group of students with a lifetime of stories to begin sharing.

-rp-