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Gossip…What people were overheard saying on the London Underground
Hezekiah, it’s perfect for us! Ten new topics generated weekly thanks to an eavesdropper in London are just right for poem titles.

NPR, part II

So, our crappy e-mail finally returned to a state resembling normal. And, in these few minutes that it might remain up, I thought I’d share my e-mail to the WCPN reporter and her answer.

—–Original Message—–
From: Kathleen Davis
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 1:59 PM
To: Babin, Janet
Subject: Morning Edition piece.

Janet,

Interesting story this morning on “Morning Edition.” I admit that I
didn’t get around to listening to it until this afternoon—via the
website—but, still, rather informative, if a bit skewed in the quotes
to stringing up the executives of FirstEnergy by their thumbs. I still
feel that—as an objective journalist—such emotion-laden sound bites
are one-sided, but, of course, the final cut is your call.

I am sorry that none of our extensive background interview made it
directly into the piece, but, of course, I appreciate you including my
line about the marketing boom of DG—”But that, of course, won’t help
the grid”—as your final, ending analysis. Next time, however,
attribution would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Kathleen Davis, Associate Editor
Electric Light & Power and Utility Automation magazines

And her “it’s not my fault” answer:

—–Original Message—–
From: Babin, Janet
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 9:40 AM
To: Kathleen Davis
Subject: RE: Morning Edition piece.

Hi Kathleen:

Thank you for your comments. Your interview, along with numerous
interviews with industry analysts, university professors, trade groups
and others that also did not make it into the final story cut, helped to
shape the piece that aired.

I did have you written into the initial story, but because of a time
crunch from 5:20 to 4:40, you were left out of the piece. As I’m sure
you know, the ‘final cut’ is not my call; that is up to the editors.

Thanks again, and I look forward to an opportunity to include you in
another energy story soon.

Best,

Janet Babin

On NPR ruining my freakin’ week

I’m new to this whole land o’ the blog. So, y’all will have to forgive me if I commit a few blog faux pas or some spelling errors, as I am at a loss without my spell check.

This is a story about NPR. An affiliate from WCPN in Cleveland called me last week for an extensive interview about the blackout. (See, I work for a power industry magazine as an editor. So, they–for some strange reason–believe me to be an expert.)

Well, in the end, our WCPN reporter did not use an audio clip from our interview. Instead, she lifted a direct quote from our interview and passed it off as her final “capper” note for the article, which did, in fact, run the next day on “Morning Edition.”

Now, I realize that someone attempting objectivity isn’t as juicy as a sound bite from an angry senator or a lawyer already in line to file a lawsuit against any and all involved, but I had always thought that NPR–what I once considered one of the last bastions of truly independent journalism–to be above such tabloid posturing. But, that illusion went “poof” when our “objective” journalist at WCPN couldn’t manage to attribute her information to the correct source.

Now, as our e-mail system has pretty much been taken down by the “so big” virus–although our IT people will deny this to their dying day and insist the shut-downs and slow-downs are all related to our firewall keeping the virus OUT–I cannot attach my e-mail to said WCPN reporter. (Oh, yes, I did.) But, should this shit clear up sometime before Christmas, I will “blog” it in as soon as possible, along with her amusing “it wasn’t my fault” reply.

As a journalist, I’m so damn disappointed in us today.