The second day of our NYC Media trip was a wonderful time. From the top of the day to the bottom of the day, I was wide eyed and bushy tailed.
At our first stop at the Committee for Protecting Journalists, Carlos Martinez de la Serna was very informative on the works of CPJ. Well… for the parts he could discuss publicly. Carlos started off the meeting with a detailed PowerPoint of CPJ information. Some of the things presented to the class included the 2019 priorities of the company; continue making an impact and building a strong environment for the safety of journalists and up-keeping press freedom. Carlos was sure to remind us that press freedom is a nonpartisan issue, and that “press freedom is agnostic of the political battle.” Carlos also noted that due to the Trump mantra of “fake news”, and the implications of that rhetoric, the CPJ has recently added a North America region to the list of focuses for its employees.
The next publication that the class visited was the Daily Beast. The class got the opportunity to sit down with the editor-in-chief, Noah Schactman. The environment in the Daily Beast office is obviously much lighter than CPJ, for more reasons than one. The Daily Beast is known for its younger, more energetic view of news. Mostly covering politics and pop culture, the vibrancy of the publication hits you as soon as you exit the elevator. A colorful mural is featured on wall in front of the elevators and to left is a snack area, featuring trail mix, mini gummy bears and La Croix, which only add to the airy atmosphere.
The most interesting gem that Noah dropped on the class is that in his opinion, “journalists don’t have to be unbiased exactly, but they must be fair.” Which is an interesting take on the profession. I think Schactman made a good point, in reality it’s nearly impossible for some journalists to be completely unbiased. But what they must be, is fair to all parties involved. Being fair includes telling the whole truth and giving both sides their fair amount of attention.
The final business stop of the day was at NYC’s CNN Studios. At CNN, we got the chance to have an hour with Reliable Sources host, Brian Stelter. Stelter is a media reporter for CNN, who sees his position in 4 parts, which include hosting Reliable Sources on Sunday mornings, writing stories for CNN.com, talking about those stories on television, and also crafting his nightly media newsletter. In regard to the swarm of media constantly buzzing around the American people, he feels that the public should “refuse to be confused”. A quotation that speaks for itself. Ways that consumers can refuse to be confused is by being vigilant of dog whistle politics and other ploys used by the Trump Administration to blow smoke.
We ended the day at a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the first show back from the break. The opening comic, Paul Mecurio was hysterical, he was great using the crowd and coming up with funny one-liners on the spot. The guests for the episode were Ethan Hawke, Jon Glaser and Taylor Bennet, who performed his new song, Streaming Services. The show is pleasing to watch on television, but watching a live taping is a completely different experience. The live band, paired with the crowd energy, and an engaging host in Colbert was the perfect storm for a remarkable, once in a lifetime experience.
Here’s to day 3!
