11-8-10
Tell or ‘show’ what people are DOING to address peak oil, food sovereignty and other issues. Don’t settle for just recording comments from people.
11-6-10 5:42 pm
So what is valuable about reporting for FSRN ? Getting paid matters, but that by itself is not enough. I want to have a sense that I am helping to “promote community”, yet that phrase seems over-used.
11-6-10 1 pm
My guess is that a key goal for my reporting is to help bring people together to address problems in our communities and in the world. So the questions to answer are as follows. What is the problem ? What can we do about? How do we handle the logistics and other details of our process of doing ?
One idea is that any reporting project for FSRN, WCRS or some other outlet involves at least some degree of making assumptions. In this case, the assumptions I am making are as follows.
Our current food system has flaws that need to be corrected in terms of issues such as climate change, peak oil, biodiversity, water security/sovereignty, food security/sovereignty, migrant labor, monopoly control, and so on.
One approach would be to vary my reporting approach depending on the circumstances. The general title of the reporting could be “talking about food” , or “Thought for food”
10-27
Strive for ambient rich features using all in-person audio. This could be done by going to the locale of people who are DOING things that are key parts of solutions to ecological and social problems.
Perhaps I could find people who are creating jobs for low income people in under served communities by way of addressing one or more ecological issues. For example, perhaps there are people in some not too far off city running a business that takes food scraps from restaurants, hospitals, schools, and nursing homes and uses it in community gardens.
10-14
I should not expect to report on every issue that interests me. I ought to continue with reporting on food–using that aspect of the human experience to address a variety of issues, engaging people’s hearts and minds by way of our palates and stomachs, as I have said before.
I intend a story of this sort to involve many elements–peak oil, climate change, monopoly control over food industry (fact check to see if that is the best term to use), the undoing of economic system, and so on.
10-7 Session Two
One approach would be to seek to answer the question of what we can do. One idea related to this question is the consideration that ‘the economy’ may not get better.
Based on that, the question of what we can do as the recession doesn’t get better–perhaps, I can do a story of this sort with the ‘content platform’ being the idea that the economy likely will get worse, and with that, present a variety of social challenges. But I want the radio feature to involve so-called everyday people doing interesting and inspiring things regarding the idea that the economy may not get better.
What perhaps may work is a combination of a quote/clip from an ‘expert’ that concisely says why more people are likely to lose jobs, foreclose on mortgages, and have a harder time with meeting needs such as housing, transportation, food, medicine, and physical security.
Amidst that bad news, I would like to have in-person audio with which to tell the story of people who are preparing themselves for a worsening of ‘economic conditions.’
My angle for this story is to present listeners and readers with the idea that life as we know it will likely change significantly in the decades ahead, and that we’re likely better off to come to terms with that, instead of assuming or wishing that our consumerist and resource-intensive way of life will go on forever.
Since I live in Columbus, Ohio, and have a small budget for travel expenses, I would prefer to get in-person audio by visiting cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland—I wonder whether Youngstown would be OK for a story and whether a big city is necessarily better for this story than a small town or mid-size city.
What is likely to determine where I go for in-person audio is where there are actually people taking action based on assuming the economy will get worse, and where there are people willing to be a part of this story.
<<>> One idea would be to talk with people about what, if anything, they are doing to cope with the ‘current economic situation.’>>>>
I intend to get a clearer sense of how peoples’ attempt to cope with ‘hard times’ on the horizon connects with social justice and environmental issues. But come to think of it, using that term ‘hard times’ reminds me of how many activists, writers, and scholars, and organizers seem to be using that basic, every day English term ‘hard times’ to further the discourse and actions to address a variety of social and environmental challenges.
So, how do I distinguish this sort of ‘preparing for hard times’ from what people who fear nuclear war, a bio-warfare attack have been doing, or the survivalist movement?
Yes! magazine has at least one cover story about this, and other outlets may as well.
Yes! Magazine “Building community resilience”
Yes! Magazine
MSNBC
To think and act on the idea of ‘preparing for hard times’ may make more sense than ‘preparing for peak oil’ or ‘preparing for sovereign insolvency’ or ‘preparing for living with the affects of climate change/climate disruption, or ‘preparing (as US Americans) for the decline in US political and economic power, and so on.
Perhaps there is a bit of a semantic consideration. Some may refer to the years ahead as ‘challenging times’ or ‘times that present opportunities.’ But, my guess is that there are so many ecological and social challenges that it’s very unlikely that none of them will result in crises.
I was going to write that efforts to ‘prepare for hard times’ make sense in that even in the unlikely case that none of the ecological and societal concerns that some people have don’t result in crises.
I have thought this regarding my striving toward a vegan, locally`bases diet, while striving toward non-fossil-fuel-intensive forms of transportation–namely using a bicycle.
Some people have argued that efforts to address climate change will devastate the US and world economy—(that is an interesting argument to make as perhaps some of the same folk have been silent about the loss of US manufacturing, and that economic and national interests liabilities that involves.)
But the question I am delving into pertains to whether the efforts of communities to ‘prepare for hard times ‘ is wise. Two answers to that come to mind. One is that many of the aspects to ‘preparing for hard times’ are things that have rewards in the near term, if not immediately. Bicycling and learning to grow some of our food is an example that comes to mind.
Also, if the ‘hard times’ that some people anticipate do, in fact, come to exist, efforts to prepare for them may make at least some people’s lives significantly better than their/our lives would have been had we not prepared for ‘hard times.’
Further still, I accept that, for whatever reason, some people may not-either deliberately or inadvertently–get involved with efforts to ‘prepare for hard times.’
Some people may think that to accept that ‘hard times’ are imminent is to be defeatist. But I shouldn’t dwell on this.
I need to figure out how to
10-7 Session One
I intend to figure out what type of pitch I am writing. I intend to get past the obstacle of not presently having a sense of what good I can do by producing a radio feature for Free Speech Radio News.
One idea is that I can do an FSRN story that helps to sound the alarm, so to speak, about our social and environmental problems.
In what way, can I sound that alarm ?
10-5
Here is an idea as far as elements of the story are concerned. Show listeners how some people in Detroit of rising to socioeconomic challenges; show listeners how that may connect with a variety of other issues such as peak oil, climate change, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and so on. Some say Detroit is America’s most beleaguered city http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28327490/page/2/
I am thinking of a story to shows listeners an inspiring example of how we can creatively rise to the challenges of our economic situation all the while addressing a variety of environmental and social issues.
The city motto of Detroit: “We hope for better things. It will arise from the ashes.”
Detroit as a symbol for other cities in the US and other parts of ‘developed world’ in that it may involve good things for post-industrialism, on the one hand, or, on ther other hand, bad things. Toby Barlow said this in the Farmer and the Philosopher, a documentary about Detroit featuring Toby Barlow (NYTimes and Huffington Post contributor, Team Detroit) and Mark Covington (Chairman, Georgia Street Community Collective).
10-4 Session One
Logistics are an important part of planning for a successful pitch. I assume that I am not likely to get pitches commissioned for stories based in Central Ohio. So, my guess is that I will have to travel to other parts of the state and other parts of the country.
Greyhound, round trip, advance purchase : Detroit: $72, New York City $142, Chicago $94
Megabus to and from Chicago: $35 there and $15 back
Chicago involves the cheaper fare, but Detroit interests me because it seems to be the city which in many ways symbolizes what has gone wrong in this country–well maybe that is not the right way of saying it. But for lack of a better way of saying it, Detroit seems to be a good setting for an FSRN feature.
I don’t want to read into things but maybe there are some stories in Detroit of people taking a bad socioeconomic situation and creating examples that people all over the country and the world are learning from/may learn from.
9-30 Session Three
Here is a possible approach. Tell the story of some people who are growing more of their own food as a way to address tough economic times. Then tie that into peak oil, socioeconomic issues such as food deserts.
I intend to determine whether to pitch a story such as this to Making Contact instead of FSRN. But perhaps FSRN is better in the sense that I get paid as much or more for a shorter feature, but I am not sure.
As I write this sentence, an idea I have is that focusing on food reporting will result-all else being the same– in me being more successful at getting paid work from media organizations in a variety of media, such as magazines, newspapers, and websites, in addition to radio outlets.
9-30 Session two
I don’t like having false starts and being indecisive –actually, I could just email John and Jeff saying , “thanks for offering help, but I have decided–at least for the time being to focus on reporting on food, filling a niche for FSRN’s Food and Farming series.”
As I write this sentence, my guess is that my cycling story idea was a glitch in my approach of focusing my reporting on food. My guess is that it does not make sense to keep starting from scratch in terms of my knowledge base. Yet I am still not sure.
But as far as an additional story that fits into FSRN’s Food and Farming series is concerned, one idea would be to have it involve people who are growing a significant portion of their own food as a part of their way to address tough economic times. I would like the feature to somehow connect that process with people’s concerns about peak oil, and other problems with our current food system.
So, where is the story here ? Is it a story that inquires into what the federal government and state governments are doing to promote local food ? Is it a story that informs listeners about how they can better promote local food systems, in terms of working with state governments and federal government as well as growing some food themselves, joining CSAs, and so on.
As I write in an attempt to generate ideas and intensify my focus, I am returning to having a sense that in order to make more money as a reporter, while also having greater harmony between my server and my reporter work, as well as finding morally innovative ways to address my financial issues.
One idea is that by focusing on reporting on food I am less obsessive and will have quicker turnaround time between pitching and getting paid for my features. Perhaps, I sometimes labor under the delusion that I can somehow write and report in such a way that I address every aspect of every issue. I ought to strive to do useful reporting on at least some of the aspects of issues I and others think are important.
As an outline of sorts, I am picturing a flower. The center of the flower is the movement for local, sustainably and justly grown food. Peak oil, climate change, soil erosion, eutrophication, human rights issues, fair trade, migrant labor issues, are some of the petals of the local food flower.
9-30, Session One
I have some indecision. One idea is that I don’t have to choose between reporting on (1) what communities are doing to prepare for peak oil via the transition town movement and other efforts; (2) what communities are doing to develop local food systems, which ties into peak oil, climate change, and other issues; (3) what communities around the country–along with state and federal governments–are doing to promote bicycling and other forms of sustainable transportation.
I am trying to get a sense of what I am trying to accomplish via reporting for FSRN, aside from generating income. As I listen to FSRN, I notice that other reporters are getting multiple assignments within a short period of time.
One idea is that I want to cause FSRN listeners to think more about why learning to grow their own food may be a good idea. So, one idea is to do a feature that involves several people that have begun to grow their own food. Maybe, I can do a feature that involves many aspects. Perhaps the situation of people growing much more of their own food can tie into peak oil, climate change, agribusiness’ monopoly control; concerns about GM crops; concerns about pesticides as a risk to human health. But also growing one’s own food ties into our current economic ‘tough times’, in that some people may be doing it for that reason, among other reasons.
I am ambivalent. On the one hand, I see value in focusing on food and using that one issue as a way to engage people’s hearts and minds regarding a variety of issues.
Yet, on the other hand, I am currently inspired about a doing a story that reports on what communities around the country are doing to promote bicycling and other forms of more sustainable and ecologically friendly transportation. As I imagine that feature, what comes to mind is getting ambient via biking on a city street in Chicago.
An idea I have is that the food issue is similar to reporting on cycling as a viable means of transportation in that both cycling and local food connect with peak oil, climate change, and socioeconomic justice.
9-29
Hi Catherine,
since writing a pitch takes some time and energy, I want to ask you whether I’d have a better chance for a commission if I were to stick with
pitching stories to fit into FSRN’s Food and Farming series.
I intend to pitch additional food and farming pitches–especially as it pertains to Peak Oil mitigation. But right now I am sort of inspired about pitching a feature that inquires into federal and state policies regarding ‘ more sustainable’ transportation in the sense of, for example, making communities more bicyclist and pedestrian friendly.
The alternative transportation movement–for lack of a better term–connects with our nation’s problems with obesity, while also connecting with concerns about air quality, peak oil, and climate change.
Further still, alternative transportation is relevant to the goal of making jobs and public accommodations more accessible to people in low income communities. I’m thinking of a feature that weaves a variety of these issues into a mosaic without making the content cluttered.
I am thinking of some in-person audio clips from not only bicycling advocates but people who are connecting that advocacy with socioeconomic issues. Perhaps I can get to Chicago and/or Cleveland or maybe New York. ( I may be able to get cheap bus fare to and from Chicago via Megabus.)
Feasibly, I’d gather some rich ambient while bicycling with some folk amidst city traffic in Chicago. The Zoom fits into a shirt pocket.
This time, I’d like ambient to fade in and out throughout most of the story, instead of just at the beginning. It’s more engaging that way.
I also want to stick with producing a feature that is mostly, if not entirely, filled with in-person audio clips.
If you want a quote/clip from a federal official regarding transportation policy, and if traveling to D.C. is not feasible, I could just put the quote into the narration. But come to think of it–common folk doing interesting things should engage FSRN listeners more than some official deigning to talk to me.
9-28
Connect my own and others’ efforts to attend to short-term needs of food, housing, and so on (get a more defined expression of those needs), while we –i was going to say “while we address longer term and perhaps more abstract concerns regarding our respective sense of social justice and sustainability” but an idea I have is that addressing those longer term, perhaps more abstract, concerns is also a part of meeting my/our needs.
One of the things that interests me is that this reporting project idea involves something personal for me : me wanting to bring in more money so as to meet my wants/needs, on the one hand, while, on the other hand, wanting to have more time and energy for pursuits that fulfill what seems to be another type of want/ need.
Part of what interests me is the method of: assessing my needs/wants; and then determining how best to meet them. Perhaps what intrigues me, and may interest listeners and readers is how people may be creatively
re-thinking how best to meet those needs.
For example, I may inquire into-regarding my own life and others’ lives– how people may be stepping away from the approach of borrowing money to get formal education so as to be ‘ more marketable’ as part of the formal economy-ie getting a job with some corporation or government –actually, I am not clear on these details.
Here is another attempt to express this story idea: people, including myself, changing our expectations in ways that -to say the least- are not entirely bad in terms of stepping away from consumerism and materialism and, as a result finding new and perhaps ‘better’ sources of enjoyment, meaning, and self-esteem. This approach may contrast w/ the mentality in which people (Tea Party ?) respond w/ anger and look for scapegoats as our materialistic consumer culture is perhaps slipping away from many of us. But I intend to not overlook how for many people, their/our frustration may come about not
just because we’re shallow people clinging to an unrealistic sense of entitelement, but instead come about because what they sincerely thought would be prospects for a better life is slipping away not only for them but for their children as well. People like me who’ve never ‘made it’ in terms of materialism may in some ways have less to lose. But my hunch is that there is something good about me letting go of some of my attachments such as my car and perhaps my internet service, and perhaps somehow thru that process improving my community ties, not just my sense of community. I can seek out the ‘opportunity’ involved w/ my personal and community/ situation without making light of how this process is likely not the same for some people who are psychologically invested into a much more materialtic, status conscious, and consumer life style. What interesting to me is that I feel much less afraid or not afraid at all when I have in my guts a sort of ‘warm
feeling’/compassion which has it cognitive/intellectual part of me suggesting to myself that I seek to do all I morally can. Perhaps this is a type of love, what some refer to as ‘agape’. My hunch is that it is one of the requirements for courage.
An additional possibility for an angle is an exploration of how people may be bypassing the establish economy in terms of getting food–moving toward growing and preserving food and engaging in other mutual aid pursuits and relying less on formal arrangments from corporate America and ‘governmentm’
9-21-10
One approach would be to comb through the interviews I have already done as a part of writing my second pitch to FSRN. I intend my second pitch to involve reporting on what people are doing around the country to grow their own food.
I want to figure out how to continue with the approach of seeking to engage–not necessarily win—people’s hearts and minds by way of their stomachs and palates.
This approach may be a good idea in that by focusing on one aspect of human wants/needs, I can engage people regarding many issues such as Climate Change, Peak Oil, immigration, human rights, monopoly control, fair trade, biodiversity, and so on.
In some odd way, it seems that by focusing on only one human want/need such as eating, I may be less likely to compartmentalize my work as a journalist. For example, if I were to focus on reporting on Peak Oil or Climate Change or immigration issues, my guess is that I would have less flexibility.
Hello Cliff,
how are you and your family ?
This is Tom Over the guy who did the interview with you in Jan of 09 about Peak Oil.
I am putting together a pitch for Free Speech Radio news. Do you have any suggestions for how to promote peak oil awareness in a 5 minute radio feature ?
My strategy right now is to seek to engage–not necessarily win–people’s hearts and minds by way of their stomachs and palates.
So I am focusing on food as a reporter. Eating connects with many issues: peak oil, climate change, immigration, human rights regarding migrant laborers, third world and first world farmers, soil erosion, biodiversity, infectious diseases, animal rights, monopoly control over food, and so on.
It’s good to get clips from key people addressing an issue, as well as from people who typically don’t have a way to express their opinions in a public way. But I should have no than a collection of comments from people. I got to tell a story, using ambient sound, narration, quotes/clips, and photos. The feature shouldn’t be in a lecture format.
Part of my job is to help the listener have a social or emotional connection with people beyond her or his everyday experiences.
Regarding the ‘issues I care about’ (it’s ultimately–I would hope–people and other sentient beings I care about, not the issues per se), it seems odd to say this but perhaps it is a good idea to seek to somehow make addressing peak oil, and other ecological and social issues a satisfying adventure, without glossing over the complexity, the difficulty, and what may be so
me ‘bitter truths.’
I say this because it may be the case that people will tune out and burn out if we—including myself—-don’t have some ways to address these issues while still having a zest for living.
What’s the alternative ? The alternative that comes to mind is a situation in which people are full of gloom and doom. My guess is that even if I and other people don’t burn out or tune out right away when filled with such gloom and doom, we may be in a state of mind which is not as conducive to addressing these issues as a state of mind in which we find ways to keep enjoying life.
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9-16-10
Even though the features are short–max 5 mins— I ought to involve music to increase listeners’ engagement with the story—15 seconds here, 10-15 seconds or more there.
Explore the answer to an important question, getting audio, preferably in-person, from people working on the goal. Get engaging ambient.
One possible feature would focus on people who are —well, I have yet to determine how to proceed. One approach would be to focus a feature on people who are taking actions to get their food in ways that support local growers, that use less energy, that contribute less to making climate change worse, that prepare for Peak Oil. Alternatively, I could do a feature that is more upfront, focusing on, for example, the Transition Town movement, or the cities around the world that are adopting peak oil resolutions.
So, what result or at least what general direction am I striving for ? One would be to engage FSRN listeners regarding why they may want to get more involved with growing their own food.
Another approach, that could go along with this, is to find a sort of cast of characters in the sense of people who are intensely involved with the Transition Town Movement. That way, I get ambient from them in addition to in-person audio, via which they tell their story. Their story can promote involvement with the broader issues of food sovereignty.
I notice I am throwing various terms around such as ‘food sovereignty’? Is doing that a good idea ?
An additional idea is that I want this feature to involve the voices of people not usually heard–people who are outside of the not-for-profit advocacy group circle that reporters—including those working with FSRN–tend to talk to. Yet, at the same time, I intend the feature to put to use some of the resources of that somewhat established activist/advocacy circle, such as their reports and other data.
Having said that, I intend my feature to involve interviews with prominent people regarding food security and food sovereignty.
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