I rely on sites like engadget and gizmodo to live blog events like Wednesday’s big product launch of the new iPods. And I’m always amazed that anyone can listen/think/type that quickly.
But I’ll put my home girl Kay up against one and all when it comes to live blogging. Check out her coverage of Fred Thompson’s announcement in Des Moines yesterday. Seriously, it’s like being in the room…minus all the sweaty reporters.
If you’re in the news business, you should read this blog post by Radio Iowa (a Learfield network) News Director O. Kay Henderson. It’s a good example of a reporter allowing her readers/listeners to see how the sausage is made.
The post (and the story to which it refers) is about the network’s coverage of remarks made by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden at the Iowa State Fair on Wednesday. Kay appropriately headlines her post "Splitting hairs with the Biden camp." (Read the post)
In the old (pre-blog) days, if the subject of a news story thought it inaccurate or unfair, the reporter could respond, "I stand by my story" and that would be the end of it.
In this instance, Kay has used her blog to add context to the story and I think everyone is better off for it. Here’s what we reported. Here’s what people thought about our report. And here’s some background we didn’t include in the story.
This is why I think every news organization should be blogging. We rely on journalists to cover important news. It’s important that we trust them to do it fairly and accurately. Letting us see how they do the job makes it easier.
Radio Iowa News Director O. Kay Henderson (friend and co-worker) took part in the autopsy following Sunday morning’s debate by GOP candidates in Des Moines. The debate was hosted by ABC News’ This Week. Following the live broadcast, Kay and three other reporters (I think they were all reporters) appeared in The Green Room segment
Update: Others featured in the video are Rick Klein, ABC News senior political reporter; David Chalian, ABC News political director; Holly Bailey, Newsweek; Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune.
Every four years, the national media spotlight burns hot and heavy on Iowa. Never more so than this year. And savvy network reporters frequently call on Radio Iowa News Director Kay Henderson for on-the-ground perspective and insight.
She was part of an 8 minute segment on MSNBC’s Hardball Wednesday night. The rest of the show pretty much sucked. Lance Armstrong’s non-answers to Chris Matthews questions made Lance sound like the politician he will someday be. But someone at Hardball had the good sense to bring Kay on, so we’ll forgive them the rest.
Radio Iowa is a Learfield network and I’ve worked with her for the past 20 years.
Radio Iowa is one of several state radio news networks owned by the company I work for. The first newscast went up “on the bird” on July 1, 1987. So the network is twenty years + 3 weeks old. I dug out the “start-up” file and took a little stroll down memory lane.
In the newsroom that first day: News Director Dennis Sutterer, O. Kay Henderson and Todd Kimm (Kay and Todd are still there, grinding out the news and sports). We leased two tiny rooms from an advertising agency in Des Moines. One for a studio…one for a very snug newsroom.
Planning for the network started in October of 1986. In February of 1987, we mailed our first packet of info to radio stations throughout the state:
“Radio Iowa will be Iowa’s first full-service, satellite delivered state news network. Headquartered in Des Moines, Radio Iowa’s three person news staff will cover the legislature and state government.
The enclosed packet includes brief descriptions of Radio Iowa programming; a schedule of feed times; affiliattion contract and clearance declaration; and a demo cassette.”
There was more, but you get the idea.
In March of ’87, Roger Gardner and I started in-station pitches. A few of the stops on that first swing: Bill Wells, KSO, Des Moines; Mark Mennick, WOC, Davenport; Kevin Kelly, WDBQ, Dubuque; Betty Baudler and Rich Fellingham, KASI, Ames; Larry Edwards, WMT, Cedar Rapids; Glenn Olsen, KQWC, Webster City; Mary Quass, KHAK, Cedar Rapids; John Carl, KCOB, Newton; Don Tool, KRNT, Des Moines.
I think we went on the air with 32 affiliates airing our reports.