The News: Interns, the gory details & the 1st Amendment
Big thank-yous to everyone who commented and e-mailed wishing SASTP birthday joy!
The News: Part 15
Every spring the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano and every summer the interns return to the newsroom. Every newsroom. All over the country. They come hopping in with ponytails bouncing, smiles ear to ear and eyes wider than a teleprompter.
Usually their first day is quiet… for about an hour. They get introduced at the morning meeting. Everyone is on their best behavior. Wisecracks are kept to a minimum. And then everyone starts working and forgets Buffy and Jody are in the room. #0 minutes later and a reporter blurts out: “Anybody know where the Oriental Massage parlor is in Salem?”
“No. Why?”
“According to this search warrant they’re giving happy endings.”
Uh-oh.
As the banter begins and the details in the search warrant unfold the veiled one-liners come from every corner. It’s beyond hilarious. None of which I can repeat here. Keep in mind we’ve all forgotten there are interns in our midst. And when we remember we quickly go back to talking about the particulars of the latest murder. Oh sure, that’s much better. Sigh.
I remember having an intern assigned to me one summer long ago. She was supposed to tag along everywhere I went. Day 1: A pornography trial. It’s a courtroom. How graphic can it get? Well, it was jaw dropping. I have never in all my life heard such weird, creepy dialogue. After about an hour of this awkward trial where even the judge was blushing, I looked at my intern and said, “Welcome to the news business. What will you tell your parents you did today?” By the way, that trial ended in a hung jury. I’m not making that up. Happened In Gastonia, North Carolina. My intern, Emily, promptly changed her career goals.
On my own internship 376 years ago I was in Washington D.C. following a CBS News crew around when Newt Ginhgrich shut down the Federal Government. Remember that? Talk about a political rumble. It was like the Jets and Sharks were in a knife fight of soundbites. Sticking a microphone in the face of power and asking confrontational questions is not for sissies.
This is not a business for the faint of anything. As I was reminded today in a news management meeting, there’s a reason my profession is guaranteed protection in the United States Constitution. There is no free press in Iran, North Korea or China. Those of you who think the media is detrimental to our society need a reality check.
Without the press who will hold our government accountable?
Remember that interns. This is a strange, tough job… but the founders of this great nation knew how much it mattered.
Talk about a happy ending… MR
