Stewart vs Cramer vs the Economy

The much ballyhooed showdown between fake journalist Jon Stewart and fake investment advisor Jim Cramer only confirms what I've been saying for years about business reporting. It's useless.
The format of objective journalism reduces most business reports to some version of, "The market could go up or it could go down, we'll just have to wait and see." Viewers are presented with both possibilities as equally likely outcomes and are left to decide for themselves. Some commentators, such as Cramer, present definite points of view that are motivated by self-interest or just plain wrong. I have shown tapes of Cramer's on-air antics to students as an example of riveting talent performance. Sound investment advice? Not so much.
Critics have questioned why business journalists didn't "see it coming." As an investigative reporter who tried to expose the downside of the real estate bubble, I can tell you that inquiries were met with dismissive responses from bankers who assured us that the number of toxic mortgages was small, when compared with the number of Americans who make their payments on time. At that point, it was hard to convince my assignment editor that this was a story worth my time, as opposed to looking for cockroaches at local eateries for the "Dirty Dining" series.
So, the field of business reporting was pretty much left to the CNBC crowd, which approches financial interviews with the deferential smarm usually reserved for showbiz reporters on a movie junket, gushing over a celebrity's latest film. The writers at the Daily Show brilliantly exposed that by showing hard hitting questions from CNBC reporters like, "Is it fun to be a billionaire?" Go to the show's website to see more at: http://www.thedailyshow.com/
What is the future of business reporting? Well, it could be good or bad. We'll just have to wait and see.

Strange Opera

My son, Andrew is a huge opera fan and the Los Angeles Opera's production of "Das Rheingold" did not disappoint, at least musically. What I found strange was the staging. The oversized costumes were in keeping with the larger-than-life plot of the first installment of Wagner's ring, but in terms of talent performance, the designs did a great disservice to the world class artists performing at the Dorothy Chandler pavilion. Several characters performed the entire work with their heads encased in masks or cages. Imagine reading the news with a bag over your head and you get the idea: the emotional aspect of their facial expressions was lost. Instead of sweeping across the stage, the actors were required to stand in place most of the time while the music soared. I'm sure there is an explanation for why this was done, but I left the music center thoroughly baffled.

End of an Era in Chicago

As I watch the TV news industry -- and journalism in general -- crumble into dust, this article from Chicago http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/mcclurg.court.demolition.2.937072.html

brought back memories of "the good old days" when THE Ten O'Clock News at WBBM-TV in Chicago was arguably the best local TV newscast in the country. Those were the golden days of Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobsen at the anchor desk, with an all-star cast of reporters that included me from 1981 to 1984. I had signed on from WSB-TV in Atlanta, hoping to become their next female news anchor, once I had spent a couple of years paying my dues as a street reporter.

Now they are tearing down the building where Kennedy debated Nixon, and where Phil Donahue taped the show that paved the way for Oprah. It's also the building where I met my husband, won an Emmy and a Lisagor and earned the nickname "the Loomer." One day future CBS News president Eric Ober was walking through master control and one of my live shots was on a monitor. A tech overheard him commenting, "That girl really knows how to LOOM," and the nickname has followed me around ever since.

Every day, as I walked past the row of portraits in the entrance lobby at 630 McClurg Court, I counted myself lucky to be there. Legend has it that one former reporter learned of being fired by coming into work and seeing that his or her picture had been removed.

The building was a former ice rink, where investigative reporter Pam Zekman had once skated, and whenever they adjusted the lighting, we got a shower of snowflakes that were, in all liklihood, asbestos. However, the building had the advantage of being within a block or two of all our favorite watering holes.

And then there was the set, a plain desk plopped down in the middle of a working newsroom. It remains my favorite news set of all time because it was so real. The background was the assignment desk and if the feature reporter walked by showing the ladies and laddies what was under the kilt he was wearing (nothing!) it made for an interesting background. One day, as I banged out a script on an old typewriter, a giant rat ran across my foot and my scream served as punctuation for whatever story was being read on the air at the time. Underneath one of the desks, someone had taken the time to post a history of the reporters who had once sat there and moved on to the network. On slow nights, the great Bill Kurtis could be pursuaded to join in a game of "wadball," which involved a homemade sphere of gaffers tape and a large plastic trash bin.

Three news directors and a couple of general managers later, the promise of anchoring never materialized for me. Far from promoting someone who had paid her dues on Chicago streets, the management settled on a newcomer from Canada, telling me I was so valuable looming live that they couldn't put me on the desk. I often wonder "what if" I had swallowed my pride and continued looming on the streets of in Chicago, instead of moving on. But the experience I gained at 'BBM has proven invaluable, and I will treasure the lifelong friendships even more. I always hope my students will have the thrill of working for a news organization that shows up to kick butt and take names on every story like we did.

So here's a toast to 630 North McClurg Court and everything it stood for. Rest in Peace.

America's Talking: Back to the Future

A few days ago I joined a Facebook group for alumni of America's Talking. It has 58 members... and counting.

AT was a startup network in 1994 which grew out of the retransmission consent controversy. Networks wanted to charge the cable companies for carrying their signals. Instead of paying, cable operators cut a deal with NBC to carry a new channel, based in Fort Lee NJ. Under the leadership of Roger Ailes, the channel was launched on July 4, promising to be an interactive conversation about the hot topics of the day. Hard to believe now, but 14 years ago only a handful of people were capable of being on the internet and watching TV at the same time, so the interactivity was limited to phone calls and an occasional email read on the air. Our constant tagline, "Join the conversation at 1-800-988 TALK," is permanently tattooed on my brain.

Ailes had 24 hours of programming to fill on a low budget and he put some edgy ideas out there. "Pork" was a show devoted to exposing government pork barrel spending, "Bugged" invited viewers to tell what bugged them, and "Am I Nuts?" allowed you to get an answer to that question from a couple of real psychologists. They held a contest to pick one of the hosts and the winner, an advertising writer named Bill McCuddy, still covers entertainment for the Fox News network.

I hosted a two-hour Monday through Friday show from 4-6 p.m. EST with Chris Matthews. "In Depth" was a daily conversation about the top news stories. We covered a couple of big breaking stories like the Oklahoma City bombing and the OJ trials, but politics was the meat and potatoes of the show. I was honored with a national cable ace nomination as best newscaster, and this didn't sit well with Chris, who wanted his own show. When he got his wish, John Gibson joined me as the co-anchor, and I got my wish to anchor my half of the show from the Los Angeles.

AT quickly grew to 40 million households and became a victim of its own success. NBC combined with Microsoft to relaunch the channel as MSNBC in 1996, leaving Ailes to move over to Fox and start the Fox News channel. Some of AT's male hosts, such as Gibson, McCuddy, Steve Doocy and Mike Jerrick, also moved over to Fox. I've always thought it odd that none of the women from AT were given the same opportunity despite the fact that some, including Carol Martin and E. Jean Carroll, had extraordinary talent.

Looking over the list of AT group tembers on Facebook, it is also noteworthy that the little startup network launched the careers of dozens of people behind the scenes, people who are still influencing the national conversation every day. AT was an exhilerating place to work, fueled by the energy of young producers and bookers fresh out of college and more experienced show runners and talent. We all sensed that we were part of something way ahead of its time and it ended much too soon.

I was asked the other day if I would like to audition for a political talk show. Sign me up! At this critical time in history, I'd love to be part of the interactive conversation that is now possible with new internet tools. I still hear from AT fans who stumble across my blog or web site and ask me if I will be back on the air. Stay tuned.

My Biggest Fan and Best PR Man

Most of the posts on this blog are about journalism. Today I am writing about the man who made me want to become a journalist and gave me the guts and curiosity to become a good one.

My dad, Ed Anzur, passed away last Friday. It was not a surprise. About a year ago he was diagnosed as having an aneurism that could kill him at any time. We didn't know if he had 10 minutes or ten years left to live. Because of various health problems he was basically confined to a bed that my mom had set up in the family room of their house and she made a heroic effort to keep him from ever going to a nursing home. Throughout the entire ordeal "Ed in the Bed" kept us all laughing with his unforgettable sense of humor. He was sharp as a tack right up until the end, reading several sports pages every day and always ready to kick our butts in a card game. Here's a picture I took of him on last Christmas. He was always the first to notice if I left a person's age out of a story so I had better tell you he was 85.
Ed Anzur was born in the front bedroom of the house his Austrian immigrant father built in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. It was and is a hardscrabble Appalachian coal mining town. His father died when he was only 3, so his father figures were his two older brothers, John and Gus. Of the five siblings in his family, Ed was the only one who managed to marry and have kids. He was the local tennis champion on the public courts and tooted his $20 coronet from the Sears catalog in the Coal Township High School Band. He might have been a great radio sports announcer, but World War II had other plans. Ed served with honor as the quartermaster on the destroyer escort USS Manning in the Pacific. At every port of call, Ed would spring off the boat and yell, "Is there anybody here from Shamokin?" There was usually someone from the area and this began our family tradition known as "making buddies," or finding instant friends wherever you happen to be in the world.


After the war Ed became the first person in his family to go to college, graduating from Villanova University on the GI Bill and joining the DuPont company in Wilmington, Delaware. He also returned to his hometown and married a young beauty who had been just a kid when he left for the war: my mom. They moved to California in the early 1960s with me and my two younger brothers in tow. Ed would pull the Dodge Dart into Anytown USA and ask a total stranger, "Where's a good family place to eat?" We'd find the local busy bee and have a great meal. My dad was a real people person who enjoyed selling DuPont Freon to clients all over California. He was also the world's greatest sports fan, especially when one of his beloved Philadelphia teams was involved. I am so glad he lived to see the Phillies win the World Series. One of the big regrets of my life is that I didn't take him seriously when he tried to teach me golf and tennis when I was 6. (I was only interested in ballet.) He signed me up as the scorekeeper when he coached my brothers' little league teams. By playing father-daughter tennis with him, I learned a lot about teamwork. We had a tradition of father-daughter "date night," which exposed me to opera, ballet, tennis tournaments and box seats at Dodger Stadium.


Just by being himself, Ed taught me the importance of asking questions about other people. He could never sit down in a restaurant without finding out where the waitress was born and where she went to high school. If you were his friend, he would make it his business to find out your birthday and your wedding anniversary and send you a card. Every year. It is sad to think those cards won't be arriving any more. He also made it a point to let his entire grapevine know if I won an award or tackled a particularly dangerous story assignment. He was a great PR man.


A child of the Great Depression, Ed had a hard time throwing anything away, especially newspapers. He would cut them up and sort the clippings into envelopes to be mailed to the various people on his list, always editing for what might interest each person the most. I can't tell you how many broadcast story ideas I got from Ed's clipping pile over the years. Everybody thought Ed was great guy because he wanted to talk about them and not about himself. Because I am Ed's daughter, I can ask anybody a question about anything. Ed took a lot of pride in my accomplishments and always had career advice like, "If you want to get ahead in the business world, read the sports page so you will always have something to talk about."


I want to thank everyone who has sent their condolences to my family. He didn't have much of a life at the end, and I am sure that he is better off in heaven, where the card game is in full swing and he has already asked St. Peter where he went to high school.

Update: Claudia Palma from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune devoted her Sunday Tribute feature to Ed. Here's the link: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_11598658

Power Women from Afghanistan

As Hillary Rodham Clinton was pledging to address worldwide women's issues as secretary of state, I was driving to Riverside CA to meet a group of women who may hold the key to lasting peace and reform in one of the world's most troubled countries: Afghanistan. The 14 judges, prosecutors and attorneys, with three translators, are visiting the US as part of the State Department's Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform. Leading law firms donate time and money for exchanges between legal experts in Afghanistan and the US. Here's the link for more information: http://www.state.gov/p/inl/narc/partnership/index.htm

Several of the American participants, including former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healy, had just returned from Afghanistan, where venturing outside of the US Embassy compound required Blackwater armed guards and nerves of steel. But risk is part of everyday life for the Afghan women lawyers, especially those who prosecute Afghan drug lords or preside over the trials of drug dealers and terrorists. They must also battle religious extremists who oppose education for women. "If the Taliban comes back to power, these women are certain to be killed," one organizer told me. "They have to move forward with democracy because they don't have an alternative. They're all in."

The group is staying at the historic Mission Inn, a recently restored Old California landmark hotel that has been hosting presidents and peacemakers since the early 1900s. I sat in on a session regarding the treatment of youthful offenders who are mentally ill. The Afghan women made the point that their system already insists on treating the mental illness before prosecuting a suspect, but they were confused by the concept of "depression." Their language has no word for it. A Pepperdine University researcher presented findings on the incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder affecting American youth who have been shot at or watched their friends die in gang violence, not so different from Afghan youth caught in the middle of a complicated war zone.
The women listened attentively to my presentation on media reform in Islamic Republic of Maldives, as I credited the former Minister of Legal Reform, Information and Arts for realizing that independent news coverage is an essential piece of sustainable democracy. They told me they already have a free press in Afghanistan, at least on paper. The problem is that it is often too dangerous to venture out into the street to do any reporting.

Several of the women were educated in the Soviet bloc during Russia's losing battle to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan. Now they are learning our system. It was easy to see the intelligence in their eyes and the warmth of their smiles. About half of the group wore head coverings and they all observed regular prayer breaks. We bonded when we realized that we had both been in the movies. Several of the Afghan women were featured in an award-winning documentary about a famous trial. I hope the situation in Afghanistan will stabilize to the point that I can do media training there someday.

Breaking News: A Book Deal!

For years, clients have been asking when I will write a book that incorporates my coaching techniques. Mark your calendar for Fall 2010, when "Power Performance: Reporting for Multimedia Journalists" will be published by Wiley-Blackwell. I'll be co-authoring with Tony Silvia of the University of South Florida, who shares my global outlook as well as the belief that first-rate, on-camera storytelling will continue to be in demand as journalism increasingly moves from traditional broadcast media to the internet. The book will be the outline for a college-level reporting class that incorporates writing, researching AND talent performance.
I'll still be available for coaching sessions while working with Tony on the book next year.

Reflections on 2008

Here's a scene from my final coaching trip of the year to Calgary. It's a town that takes hard news seriously and there's plenty of it. Somewhere in the back of this snowy shot you can see the skyline.

What a year for Terry Anzur Coaching Services, from wintry Canada to sunny Spain and the island paradise of Maldives! On Christmas Eve I'm grateful for all the fantastic people I've met on my travels, new clients and longtime friends alike. Former USC students came of age, buying houses or finally landing that dream job in their hometown. Meantime, the economy has been tough on friends who lost their jobs, despite years of experience. It's definitely a mixed bag.

The new year will bring a new relationship for me and Smith Geiger. While I will continue to freelance as a talent coach for their client stations, I will have a lot more freedom to provide custom coaching packages for other stations as well.

The big challenge for everyone is to work smarter in this tough economy and do more with the resources that we have. It's easy to get started on your custom coaching package at www.terryanzur.com to make your talent the best in the business. With our competitive rates and 2009 discounts it's more affordable than you think.

Obama Fever!

I don't blog about some of my coaching clients because there are confidentiality agreements involved, which I take very seriously. However, my travels give me an opportunity to make some fun observations along the way.On the streets of Washington DC, it feels like Barack Obama is already the president, even though the inauguration is more than a month away. This cardboard cutout was at Reagan National Airport. No Bush t-shirts to be had anywhere and the only souvenirs bearing the current president's image were packages of "Dum Gum" and "Embarrass-mints." The Obama t-shirts didn't seem to be selling very briskly, but I am sure that will change as we get closer to the big day. However, only a few shirts were left with the slogan "Don't blame me, I voted for McCain-Palin." I guess the Republicans are stocking up as they turn over most of the power to the Democrats. After my experiences in an emerging democracy, it was especially exciting to be in the capital city during this peaceful transfer of power. There is an almost electric energy in the air, mixed with concern about how the nation will ride out the economic downturn.

State Department Visit

While coaching a client in the Washington DC area, I had time to visit the US State Department to talk about Maldives. I'm hopeful that the incoming administration will continue to support media training projects as a way to win the hearts and minds of democracy-loving people all over the world. Topics of discussion: the Maldives Media Training project and other countries in which that type of training might be needed. I also met with a savvy program development officer in the Bureau of International Information programs. It will take some time for the new administration to get settled in and approve budgets, but I am hopeful that some opportunities will develop in the new year. Maldives was right in the middle of the lineup of world flags, the mostly red one in the center of the picture.

Holiday Help for Our Troops

Pick up the December issue of Newsmax magazine to find out how you can help American troops and their families, hard hit during the holidays by tough economic times.
My article, "Comfort Zone" begins on page 56. There are sidebars pointing you to various charities that will put your donation to good use, including Operation Baghdad Pups, which brings home the sad stray dogs that Americans adopt during their tours of duty in Iraq.
Cultural note: These canine morale-boosters face a grim fate if left behind in a Muslim country, where dogs are not kept as pets and considered to be unclean.
I love doing freelance writing whenever a good assignment comes along. If you'd like me to research and write a story for your publication, please go to http://www.terryanzur.com/ and send me an email.

Hollywood Power Women

The Hollywood Reporter's Top 100 Women in Hollywood event was a lot of fun. I had the pleasure of being the offstage voice announcing such stars as Glenn Close and Sigourney Weaver.
Here's a look at the technical team on the balcony of the ballroom at the Beverly Hills hotel, with me as the "voice of goddess." The celebrity participants didn't exactly follow the script but everyone improvised and the program came off quite well.

We also got a sneak peak at "Prayers for Bobby," a new Lifetime movie starring Sigourney Weaver as a conservative mom who can't accept her gay son. Weaver gave an impassioned speech about Proposition 8, the recent decision by California voters to ban same sex marriage. Glenn Close was a class act as she accepted the Sherry Lansing award for leadership in the entertainment industry.
Oprah Winfrey joined studio chiefs Anne Sweeney and Amy Pascal for a panel discussion. Despite having the combined net worth of a medium-sized country, all of these women were authentic and down to earth.

Many thanks to my friend Jacquelin Sonderling for inviting me to participate. She produced the program for the Hollywood Reporter and its ace events coordinator Karen Smith.

I also got a chance to catch up with USC adjunct professor Gretchen Goldsmith, now the proud mother of twins along with her partner, Joann Alfant of Lifetime. Seeing all these accomplished women gives me hope that Hollywood will be more accepting of what we have to offer the industry.

Mumbai Terrorism Coverage: Why Journalists Should Care and Prepare

I watched the coverage of the terrorist siege in Mumbai from the perspective of just having written a booklet on emergency and disaster coverage for journalists in the Maldives, only a few hundred miles off the Indian Coast.

Many observers have noted the role of "new media" such as instant messaging, email, texting and Twitter. While these sources were often first with the breaking news, journalists know that being FIRST is no good unless you also get it RIGHT. The role of the journalist is to supply the public with the most up to date and confirmed information and the twittering of citizen journalists armed with new technology -- but few facts -- won't change that.

This brings me to the main point of my booklet on how TV journalists should prepare to cover emergency situtations,whether the disaster is manmade or caused by nature. The time to work out your relationship with the responders is BEFORE disaster strikes, not while the emergency is in progress. Previous hostage situations in the United States showed that live TV coverage can often tip off the hostage takers to the movements of law enforcement. Journalists should use common sense in withholding the details that could compromise the safety of the hostages or the responders. Journalists should have confidence that officials will give them access to the latest information and officials should in turn trust that some sensitive information will be withheld when necessary.

When there is no working relationship between officials and the press, officials are likely to react by pulling the plug, as the authorities did in India. Incompetent or unprepared authorities don't want their mistakes shown on live TV. A broadcaster who is not on the air cannot serve the public interest in an emergency. It is vital to have a plan that will enable you to STAY on the air with a direct pipeline to the most reliable information from a variety of official and unofficial sources.

When I left Maldives, my booklet was being translated into Dhivehi and the text is available for any public broadcaster to translate for use in their own language. If you're interested, visit my web site at http://www.terryanzur.com/ and send me an email.

California Fire Coverage

This picture was taken just a few miles from my house, over Diamond Bar, CA. For now, my house is safe, although my son's school has just opened an evacuation center for people whose homes are south of here. The air is thick with smoke and we are trying to figure out what is going on. Unfortunately, the coverage on LA TV stations is totally useless.
At 8 pm on Sunday evening only ONE station is on the air. The rest are showing the usual November network sweeps programming. The folks on KCAL seem obsessed with the Sylmar fire in north LA County and there is little information about what is going on here, except for the occasional "up close and personal" story about someone refusing to leave their house in Diamond Bar. The local TV cannot be relied upon for even the most basic information, such as school closings. Sharon Tay on KCAL chirped, "Just go to our website for the latest." Well, Sharon, I went there only to find that LAUSD and Pomona are open, but nothing about the schools in the threatened areas. Gee, thanks.
I have always believed that local disaster brings out the best in local TV news. But as a viewer, hungry for information about anything about this fire that could affect my community, I have never seen worse coverage. The strategy seems to be to zoom in on a picture of a flame, any flame, and allow the reporters to ramble on while we look at the scary pictures. No attribution, no interviews with fire officials. Hundreds of homes will be destroyed in this fire and any remaining confidence anyone had in TV news will die along with them.

Travels with Anne

Hosting a German journalist in Los Angeles is always fun, but this visit turned out to be more eventful than usual.

Anne Allmeling is a radio and TV reporter based in Cologne. She spent three days with KPCC-FM reporter Susan Valot in Orange County before meeting up with me in Pasadena. You have to give her an A+ for courage because, even though she doesn't even own a car in Germany, she navigated the LA freeways by herself in a rental car.

After visiting my office to talk about tv and radio talent coaching, we planned to drop off her car at her hotel and then I would drive us to the studios of KNX-AM all-news radio. I thought it would be interesting for Ann to hear Frank Mottek's coverage of the dramatic downturn in the economy. Too bad we never got there.

Just two blocks away from the hotel, Ann's foot slipped off the brake at an intersection, and her rented car lurched forward, tapping the bumper of the car ahead of her. Two things became clear immediately: the driver of the car was a Mexican immigrant with no drivers' license and her 14-year-old daughter was holding her neck and asking to go to the hospital. The mother spoke no English and called her two teenaged sons to the scene. Anne had paid for insurance, but had to file a police report to make a claim.

The boys did not want us to call the police and demanded cash on the spot to fix the car, which looked to me as if it had been dented by something else before the accident. As you can see in the pictures, there was virtually no damage to the rental car. And it was hard to understand how such a minor fender tap could have caused a serious injury. But that's for the doctors to decide.

We called the cops. Paramedics also arrived to examine the girl. Pasadena police explained to the mother that they would have to cite her for driving without a license and confiscate her car. But if there were no injuries or damage involved, the officers would not have to write a report and she was free to go. Given the choice, the mother opted to face the citation and go to the hospital with her daughter. The boys looked on sadly as the cops towed the car. The police said it would cost the family nearly $1,000 to get the car out of impound. I shared Anne's disbelief that a police officer would allow an unlicensed driver to continue driving under any circumstances. Apparently, the huge number of undocumented drivers has led to an epidemic of "hit and run" accidents because the unlicensed people don't stick around to exchange information. The police don't want to punish those who do the right thing and stop.

This was a classic LA melting pot experience that could almost be a sequel to the movie "Crash": A visitor from Germany involved in an accident with immigrants from Mexico, with multiethnic police officers, paramedics and bytanders on the scene. Anne got a personal lesson in the issues raised by illegal immigration, such as undocumented people driving without a license or insurance. Three hours later,, we headed into Hollywood for some sightseeing. We finally met up with Frank at the Beverly Hilton, at a celebrity-studded benefit for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. Frank is a classy guy who always makes time in his schedule to welcome Germans participating in the RIAS/RTNDF journalist exchange program. Both Frank and I have visited Germany as RIAS fellows. As I have said before on this blog, the free trip to Germany is one of the best kept secrets in broadcasting!

I wish Anne the best of luck in her travels and in her career. I hope our paths will cross again under circumstances where we don't have to drive!

Maldives Election

Just want to congratulate my Maldivian friends on their first multiparty presidential election. I only wish I could watch the coverage on TVM from here.

Talent Coaching at Cal State Northridge

The broadcasting program at Cal State Northridge has turned out some fine journalists over the years and I've been proud to call some of them my colleagues. The next batch has some promising newcomers in the RTNDA student chapter, headed by Mazen Hafez (center in the Cal State T-shirt). They invited me to put on a talent performance workshop, and after discussing and reviewing some of their stories we continued the q and a session over dinner. Although there's a lot of passion for sports reporting here, everyone seems to understand the need to be flexible in the tight job market. If you'd like to schedule a talent performance workshop at your school, go to www.terryanzur.com.

Seeing Sarah Palin

I often feel like the last independent voter in America and I don't have to venture outside my immediate family to feel pressure from both sides. My mother and son are staunch Republicans backing McCain-Palin, while my oldest brother lives in Nancy Pelosi's liberal San Francisco district and backs Obama-Biden.

Last weekend I had an opportunity to see one of the candidates up close. My mom and my son received tickets to a Sarah Palin rally and these were VIP passes to be in the front section of the tennis stadium where she was speaking. It was more like a political mosh pit, with people and cell phone cameras jostling for the best view. The kids allowed my 75-year-old mom to move to the front where she got Palin's autograph!

Observations:

-As a talent performance coach, I have to give Palin an A+ for her speech. When someone tried to heckle her, she responded with a smooth and witty adlib: "My son is in Irag fighting for the freedom that guy is exercising right now!" It was hard to believe she was the same person who stammered in response to interview questions from Katie Couric.

-She is knock dead gorgeous in person. TV doesn't do her justice.

-I can see why the rightwingers are so pissed off at the media. Of the entire speech, the only line that made the news was Palin's attack on Obama's past association with a Chicago radical. The coverage didn't remotely resemble the event that I experienced, the enthusiastic overflow Republican crowd in a state that is viewed by the media as already in the Obama victory column. What happened to the idea that the media is supposed to be your front row seat for what actually happens? On CNN, they simply referred to Palin's comments accusing Obama of associating with "terrorists" and said that Obama was demanding an apology while talking about "real issues" like health care. Well, Palin talked about plenty of issues, but I guess CNN didn't think any of it was newsworthy.

Don't get me wrong, I still haven't made up my mind because I think either ticket would be better than the current administration, and both tickets bring unique qualities to the table. However, I am disappointed in the obvious lack of impartiality in the coverage and continuing damage done to the image of professional journalism in the US.

-I can definitely see why Palin is compared to Ronald Reagan in a dress. She has that quality that is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. The people who are trying to pass her off as a Klondike Barbie doll are seriously underestimating her communication skills in front of a crowd. Although I will agree that she needs to bring more of that charisma and confidence to one-on-one interviews.

Election Day in Maldives

October 8 will go down in history as the first multi-party election day in Maldives. My friends at TVM are providing wall to wall coverage, and CEO Ali Khalid says they have won praise for providing coverage that is more fair and balanced than that of the competing private stations. Well done!
One reporter last night told me optimistically that they would know the results shortly after the polls closed. But it's not going to be that easy. There are numerous allegations of fraud and irregularities with the voting lists, particularly on the atolls where island chiefs have discarded the official list and substituted their own. Others have complained that the ink marks used to identify those who have voted can be easily washed off.
At this moment, it looks like a close race between incumbent President Gayoom and opposition leader Anni, with independent candidate Hassan Saeed in 3rd place. However, no one has a majority in the early returns. It's anybody's guess at this point how it will all turn out. It is frustrating not to be able to watch the election coverage, but my thoughts and prayers are with the journalists that they will stick to their responsibility to tell the truth, no matter what happens.

Thanking our Troops

Whenever I get the chance to do some freelance writing, I am reminded of how much fun it is to try and learn everything you can about a topic of current interest and then share it with others. In this case, I am writing an article on how the economic downturn is affecting America's troops and their families. Bottom line: the needs have never been greater, but at the same time donations are dwindling as the financial crisis pushes Afghanistan and Iraq off the front page and people have less money to donate. Did you know that our troops have to buy their own underwear? The least we can do for those risking their lives in combat is to make sure they have clean boxers and socks! (And a few cookies wouldn't hurt.) I'll let you know where you can find the full article when it is finished. And then please DONATE! The photo is courtesy of http://www.adoptaplatoon.org/.