Friends and journalists

To friends and journalists, regarding my present occupation:

Radio is quite a bit different from print media. I read the news live four times every day, so I have three more chances to slander someone than I would have to libel someone working for a daily paper.

On top of slander, there’s also good, ole embarrassment. Today I read a story about sled dogs to our listeners. Unfortunately, it ended up being about a “dead slog” race.

I get five minutes between the last song of the hour and ABC national news at the top of the hour to announce the news. So I’m shortening stories in my head as I read them and hoping they still make sense. If I’m still reading at the top of the hour, ABC starts anyway, and FCC says I have to announce “KNOM, AM-FM, Nome” just before the top.

So it’s always a balancing act and a guessing game of last minute cuts and no take-backs. But that’s kind of nice because I don’t have to see my mistakes in print. I just have to know that everyone heard it real-time in Nome’s two grocery stores and one bank…

We have about 70-90 percent listener-ship. So it’s tough to hide mistakes. I’ve been changing my facial hair every couple weeks so I’m not as obvious around town.

In Western Alaska they LOVE acronyms. Here are a few I read on-air on a regular basis in stories (you may have heard some before, others, I doubt): PFD (this means both personal fund dividend AND personal floatation device here), NVFD (Nome Volunteer Fire Department), BSNC, PPT, ARC, ATV, ACES, (cr)AP – this one was coined by my news director to show his distain for the Associated Press on which we rely for our state news (without getting too deep into it, the AP content here is “garbled, vague and incorrect,” to quote Paul as he showed me around the newsroom. He was right from what I’ve seen. My theory is that the Associated Press sends their worst reporters to Alaska as punishment: stories don’t come across until noon or so, they’re missing information, have buried leads, etc. etc.) – MURK, ANWR, VA, VPSO, LIHEAP (no joke), ANCSA, BLM, BIA, PSP.

I’ve been here a month, and I’m still working on our “Western Alaska pronunciation guide.” Spelling doesn’t matter on-air, I’ve discovered. I’m a master of the pen, so I’m having to adjust.

Tikigak, Anningayou, Aketachunak, Ahnangnaoguk, Angnabooguk, Chmeilewski…

Some of those are places, some are people’s names… I think…

Interviews are easier for me. I’ve always preferred to tape my interviews. Here the phone streams right into the system and I can write down how many seconds have gone by when I hear the quote I want. Then I go back and edit that section for a sound cut in my story. It’s easier than transcribing. Much easier.

I’m going to investing pencils. Pens don’t work in extreme cold, and it’s down consistently to the 20s now.

On the up side, I work for a private, award-winning radio station that is flying me across the bush to all kinds of interesting villages. Everybody is super-cool. It’s a completely laid-back environment, but I’m also constantly aware of my responsibility to “feed” the news folder with new stories. I’m on the school board, land management and alternative energy “beats” so far.

We have four studios from which to control our signal, which is amazing. I'm writing this blog entry on a new MacBook the station purchased for me last month...

Despite the difficulties, I might be converting from print to audio media. One month down, only the next 11 will tell.

Take care and God bless. Jacob.