Re: Barnicle on air today

[Garrett Wollman <wollman>]

<<On Thu, 9 Sep 1999 19:03:12 -0400, "Marc Lemay" <mmkc@email.msn.com> said:

> While Barnicle is an adequate columnist...most print guys/gals have a
> problem making it electronically...whether radio or television.  Not sure
> why...maybe others feel differently.

Actually, I've found quite the opposite.  However, I think it depends
on context.

I'll agree with you that a lot of *opinion columnists* make bad *talk
hosts*.

However, there are a lot of great print *reporters* who have done
quite well for themselves in broadcast: Steve and Cokie Roberts,
pretty much all the regulars on ``Washington Week in Review'', Allen
Abel, Daniel Richler, and pretty much all of the journalists on the
late lamented ``The Journal'', the people from the Post who appear
regularly on the NewsHour with Jim Lehhhuhhh, and on and on.

Outside of editorial board meetings, opinion writers rarely have to
discuss their ideas in real time.  Actual reporters are in much better
mental shape to do so.

- -GAWollman

(Trivia: which Washington stations *don't* have some sort of
public-affairs roundtable?  Three such programs are seen on NHPTV:
WRC-TV 4's ``McLaughlin Group'', W*USA 9's ``Inside Washington'', and
of course WETA 26's ``Washington Week in Review''.  Surely WJLA 7
ought to have one, but if they do, it's not nationally syndicated.)

- --
Garrett A. Wollman   | O Siem / We are all family / O Siem / We're all the same
wollman@lcs.mit.edu  | O Siem / The fires of freedom 
Opinions not those of| Dance in the burning flame
MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA|                     - Susan Aglukark and Chad Irschick

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