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Today I met Hector and Nicole and 20 other promising young people for the first day of the 14-day CCNMA Multi-Cultural Journalism Workshop. Mike calls it a boot camp of sorts. I mentioned Hector and Nicole because they’re the pair that chose the radio program versus print and television. (Television, not surprisingly, boasted the largest group.)

Union-Tribune copy editor Dave Feldman, whom I love to photograph.
Hector and Nicole are great! For two weeks I’m their big brother, chauffeur, best buddy, and mentor. For once I don’t feel like I’m at the bottom of the KPBS food chain. (I can dream.) Both of them are gifted with insight that pleasantly surprised me. (This realization began with the question, “What do you think of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” from Nicole, while flying down 4th Avenue to get to the NBC building on time. The question opened up an intellectual dialogue, complete with “Sweet Lords” and “Learn to drives!” interrupting the conversation.)
I tagged along with the group to tour the San Diego Union-Tribune building and sit in on First News at 4:00 on NBC 7/39. While outside during the break, Joe Lizura grabbed a bunch of us with 10 seconds to air for his weather report. The students were just giddy with delight afterward. I received my usual small stream of phone calls/e-mail about being on television. It’s an amazing phenomenon. Whenever I’m on television, no matter for how long or how briefly, people contact me to tell me that yes, I was on television. Often these are people I have not heard from in years, or those who I never thought would be watching. Anyway.

Dave shows us around the U-T’s massive newsroom.
The day ended with a panel discussion on ethics, moderated by Mike and Gina Lubrano, the U-T’s ombudsman (ombudswoman?). I tried to keep my comments short and merely serve as the devil’s advocate, but it was very tough to sit through some of the students’ comments about ethics. I cringed when I heard about various advisors’ frightening censorship decisions as I desperately tried to keep my mouth shut.
I look forward to working more with Nicole and Hector, but I have to admit I already want to get back to work. I was hungry for a spot today, but there was no time.
Update: Oh, yeah! I completely forgot to mention that Marty Levin is on vacation. So, that’s right, I did not get to meet him. Damn! The Marty Mystique is ever-elusive. Someday… someday.

About Andrew Phelps

Andrew Phelps is a WBUR reporter and the host of Hubbub, a new blog about Boston.

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KPBS, Day 13: Movin’ on up

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