wut aye lernd @ skool t'day

c/o Linkedin.com

"FAIR AND BALANCED"

There is Civil War in the country, polarization galore, hate, fear... And that's just the way we are taught to think watching cable news shows or listening to talk radio. The real story is an old one and while it may be going out of fashion one youngster is still trying to bring it to a new diection.

 His name is Dan Cooney.

Dan Cooney was the John Carroll Universiity Tim Russert Dept. of Communication fellow at Meet The Press recently and now works as online coordinator for Public TV's News Hour. All the content of the news show that gets streamed online is under Dan's purview and he will be at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next week to post and stream and do all that other newfangled stuff.

He was my teacher in class today via SKYPE. And this is what I learned:

1. He is in on the planning meetings each day before his broadcast and what is featured on the show appears to be a collective effort. No one person dictates what the news should be and consensus seems to be the rule of the day.

2. He takes care to try to see the point of view on an opinion different from his own so that he can try to be as unbiased as possible. "Where you stand depends on where you sit," I believe was his quote. I take this to mean that you can examine an opposing opinion by understanding, through empathy, where it comes from and this is useful in reporting a news story in a way that is useful because it is "balanced and fair," words that have been abused by certain other news organizations which in fact are neither.

3. He learned to be "fair and balanced" by (horrors!) discussing politics, religion, etc. around the dinner table growing up. "Even when you disagreed, you still had to sit down with the people you disagreed with next week, so you'd better learn to do it with respect."

4. I think he also taught me something I can tell my students ambitious to follow in his footsteps and try to get a job in journalism: it is better to have the right attitude than to be the smartest man in the room. Working in journalism, like in teaching, I suspect, you learn every day. Getting along with people is something you can bring to the table.  The knowledge of current events, political dynamics, etc. may come more on the job. But of course, you need the skills and the work ethic. You must be a good communicator. But by all means try to disagree as if you know you got to sit down with the person you disagree with next week.

I also learned a lot of other stuff- about Belize and convention bounce and the inverted pyramid. And we had banana bread.