NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO WASHINGTON, D.C. MEMORANDUM To: member Stations? DATE: April 8, 1971 FROM: William H. Siemering Some Things To Consider About ALL THINGS Public broadcasting has always, as Robert Frost wrote, taken.the road "less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Even though that is understood in developing the NPR program service, it is only natural to try to anticipate that it will sould like something familiar (the first automobiles were referred to as horse" less carriages). This memo is designed to help define the nature of the difference and give a more specific idea of the kinds of materials you might expect on the initial service. THINGS will be different not for the sake of being different, but because events of recent years and vacuums left by other media have helped to define the kind of alternate service which the NPR board has articulated and endorsed. Philosophically, there is no need to repeat an existing service. Defining media roles is not comparable to merchandising identical consumer products, though all too often it is thought of in these terms. We do not?look to MacDonalds for the quintessence of fine food just because they have sold 7 billion hamburgers. In practicaleournalistic terms, there is also a need for a different approach to broadcast journalism. Harry Ashmore, the award?winning editor of the Atlanta Constitution expressed it well: "The volume of what purports to be information and commentary available to the public has been steadily increasing as a result of the communications'revolution. yet perhaps the most conspicuous aspect of the con? temporary media is their massive redundancy.- In print and On the air reporters and commentators march in lockstep-as they overblow each issue as it arises, and treat the most complex matters in terms of a Memorandum April 8, 1971 Rage 2 personality cult a process that can only result in anesthetizing the public through overexposure. In the underlying philosopy, the program service has been articulated in the purposes and goals of Translated into practical program terms, this means: w? Giving the individual a more human view of his environment. Going to primary sources whenever possible. -- Plowing new ground of investigative broadcast journalism. w? Use the medium in a natural way which will give public radio an identity in its own right. We have talked about the need for having program sources come from various states of the union, but, of equal importance, is the state of mind or consciousness of the people. One of the values of multiple sources of origination is that there are multiple perspectives of a given event. A story on the life of a lumberjack can much more accurately be presented from KWSU talking with lumberjacks in their community, rather than having someone from New York or Washington spending the day in Pullman. One of the problems of following the personality cult that Ashmore refers to is that these people are frequently far removed from primary experience. It does not mean that we would ignore "namES" because they are names, but we would use them selectively because of their own particular expertise. I - None of us can possibly have all the kinds of primary ex? ?periences we-need to do our job sensitively, and each of our perceptions of reality are limited by our own primary experiences, but the fidelity of other realities in society is severly compromised as it goes through the various filtering processes to a general audience. I was reminded of this recently when I heard a university describe changes in student culture to a group of alumni.' How much better it would have been for the alumni to listen to three or four students instead of having their life interpreted. we want to capitalize on the flexibility of the radio medium, and, therefore, will not have regular features aside from the Memorandum April 8, l97l Page 3 element of international and national news. No two programs will be alike, because each will be responding to a fresh set of circumstances and events. -. .. .. 1 The program will have, then, these elements as the matrix: 1. a unity of peeple, events, ideas, natural to the ?Unique characteristics of the medium, growing out of the need to present a reality which is believable to all segments of the total population. 2. people will be.valued and treated with respect and positive regard and not as adversaries by program staff. 3. the listener will have a sense of reality, of authentic people sharing the human experience with emotional openness. 4. each unit will be related to the whole, with form following function, division of time growing out of content_rather than arbitrary walls evenly Spaced between units. If we are to come up with a new sound and have a new approach to media, it is necessary to have a different mix of people involved in the programming. On the one hand, it is essential that we have the highest standards of broadcast journalism, and,-on the other hand, to have fresh perspectives and new sources of?program ideas. I believe one of the most serious handicaps to radio journalism in the past, and, unfortunately, public radio is not exempt from this, has been first?rate journalists in critical roles of editors. Very rarely is there any guidance in developing stories and in ?making sure that they are fleshed out properly, that the right questions are asked, and the right people are contacted. This is a discipline common to newspapers, but uncommon to broad~ caSters. Robert Conley, the managing editor and host has had ten years experience in this environment on The New York Times, and three years with NBC as foreign correspondent for Huntley/ Brinkley. The news editor is Cleve Mathews who has had ex~ perience as a reporter on The St. Louis Post Dispatch and editor in the Washington bureau of The New York Times.? I am-~ confident these two men will be able to provide this solid 'journalistic base and guarantee the integrity of the operation. Memorandum . April 8, l97l Page 4 The rest of the staff, who?s biographies will be sent to you shortly, are a combination of those who have had broadcast experience or bring a fresh perspective to broadcasting from another field closely related to the content areas of our concern. We will also have a variety of free lance reporters, since our Washington staff will be relatively small in re? lation to the volume of material to be processed. For example, the daybook on February 24 in Washington showed about 38 reasonable assignments. These included 15 con? gressional hearings, two White House briefings, a John Mitchell conference on drugs, a Laird conference on Vietnam? and conferences with Ralph Abernathy and the president of the National Farmers Union. There also was the opening session ,of the National Governors Conference. We have made arrangements with the overseas department of the BBC to supply us with a fifteen minute weekday feed on the cable, of stories that may be of interest to us using their correSpondents and commentators. We will send them a telex of the major areas we are interested in and indicate what segments of their feed we used and so we will gradually develop a fruitful working relationship. They will include items of science and the arts, as well as analysis and comment. In addition, they will supply us with their TOPICAL Tapes, some of which we can distribute on line, and the rest through the library service. We have established a working arrangement with The Christian Science Monitor to use their stringers and reporters around the world. The Monitor is a highly regarded independent national newSpaper, which also has regional editions. Their.editorialrl.__.r staff is willing to provide substantial assistance in -. identifying their best reporters, briefing them on what we would need, and having them get in touch with us, as well as being available to provide editorial.background to stories we_may be working on. Since WGBH has a direct line to their editorial offices, this is a further convenience. Their deadlines also mesh perfectly with ours, since their reporters are free to make contributions to NPR after 2:00 p.m. To help give you a further idea of the way in which the program -. Memorandum April 8, 1971 Page 5 may flow, we are enclosing three mock~ups of THINGS It should be born in mind that these are intended_as exercises that were done before we had our wire services installed (Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France?Presse), before our full compliment of staff was on the ground and before we were receiving regular inputs from you. So, to some extent, it had to be based on a number of assumptions and dependent on commercial news sources. They are intended to illustrate how the program may sould on a heavy news day and on days that are less tied to conventional hard news. At the suggestion of a manager, we are providing a national, international news portion- lead~in to the optional local cutaway at 53 minutes into the program. The continuation of this material will not be of. an inferior nature in any way, but may consist more of commentary so that stations could giva local news and still feel that the main national and internation stories were given mention earlier. This is the only fixed portion of the grogram. Your letters about your communities and stations are superb. Copies are made of them and distributed to all staff who are concerned with program development. We encourage those of you who have not written to do so. - As you and your staff have story ideas, just write it up like the attached sample and send it in. For something faster breaking, call the News Desk. Please mail all Story ideas to Cleve Mathews in the News Desk. ?_The program will have a life unto 'always be in a state of growth and a state of becoming. lt will depend upon you for nourishment, but will giVe the listener a quality of life. - Arman-um . ., wwmu-yym??. The above form for making a story suggestion SAMPLE Story PrOposal April 19, 1971 Z.P.G. Road to happiness or extinction? Steve Roper, news director, Gotham, Alabama (800) 123?4567 From: Followers of Zero Population Growth advocate strict measures of birth control, sterilization, etc., to stabilize population. This has led to a debate oVer whether their measures would result in a stable popula? tion or a declining one. Paul Ehrlich, pro?ZPG . pOpulation expert argues the former. Others, including the Census Bureau director, George Brown, disagree. We propose a piece of 7 to 10 minutes exploring this matter, with comments from Ehrlich, Brown, and others, including members or officers of ZPG. The story would be pegged to a conference on population here which will be attended by most of the,sources we want to reach. We would get the tape to you by April 30; 1. identifies itself, with the date - 2. tells what the story is about 3. identifies the source of the suggestion, with phone no. 4. gives the background states the suggestion and the news peg 6. add additional information useful to us in deciding ?and scheduling the story. All Things 5:00 p.m. EST 5:02:00 Tuesday, March 30, 1971 - Program Logo TEASERS: (Voices and Actualities on Tape) Fort Benning Scott from Civil War TABLE OF-CONTENTS: Galley Trial Body Language Something unexpected in Life?St) . I CALLEY INTERMIX ?Conley: The trial of,Lt. Calley??whatever our own attitudes may be, the attitudes of all of usunis a watershed in American turning point that grows out of a series of singular documents?5 ?the military regulations and Codes of Conduct for Warfare: [From Pentagon, Army Colonel reads pertinent_ passages from manual] Manual Conley: The road from that passage to the Calley' Verdict winds through painful country. Jim Russell (Live from Fort Benning, Ties Manual.to Calley's appeal: "Please by your actions here today don't strip .future soldiers of their beg of you.? Manual Defense Lawyer's Statement (George Latimer) Manual Gl's React: Mix of 6 voices on CIVIL WAR was . GEN. GAVIN (WGBH): officers fear buck stops with them." ANDERSONVILLE TRIAL (From Cast Recording): George Scott_on fate . I . .1 ?5:28:00 75:28:30 5:38:00. ?5:48:00- 5:53:00 5:58:00 5:58:30 6:25:00. v6:27:00' 6:28:50 I BBC (From London): Sir Robert Thompson?Are such incidents inevitable in guerilla warfare? New Military (Barbara Newman with statiOn feeds): Documentary on'how military is humanizing atmosphere for this.incompatable with need to produce assault trOOps? FOLK SONG: "In VietnamL..V Station Break I (Fade music-under) Fade up Documentary on new awareness- _in_Country Music;..new awareness of lyrics.., Marianne Snulc: Documentary on Organic ISUMMARY: National and International News OPTIONAL CUTAWAY (5 mins.). Cue will allow stations alternative of cutting away for local news or staying with NPR Feed for remainder of NEWS 4 Station Break II RADIO MOSCOW (NPR Monitor): English report from Short?Wave on Party speech LANGUAGE OF DIALEOTIC: Zig Brzezinski (Brookings Institute) with Conley_in-discussion of what particular expressions, phrases, etc. used in speech really the code, so to speak BODY LANGUAGE: Documentary (Various stations) on a form of communication that is decidedly explicit, if you can read WATER BEDS: Documentary on new ingredients in Feeds from various stations on 3 of makers, users, and sellers (2 Slumber Shops), plus hazards. MUSIC News wrap-Up Civil War Ballad Network Cue_and Out i 5:23:30 April Fool's joke All Things Thursday, April l, 1971_ 5:00:00 EST - I Program Logo TEASERS: (voices and actualities on tape) Wallace on the draft and Calley Addict in methadone treatment . Farmer forcedyto.sell his farm or CONTENTS: . House action on the draft Attitudes toward work and the lack of it A religious revival 5:02:00 A Child playing an April Fodlls joke sent in erm member stations. a . 5:02:15 ?ouse action on.extension of the draft NPR staff reports from the Hill with actuality on lawmakers trying to bar draft in undeclared wars. Conley, bringing in comments by phone from Gov. wallace and from Georgia Vhere they are threatening' to st0p drafting as protest over Calley verdict. Feature on Army efforts to make the army attractive enough to support a volunteer army when the draft ends NPR staff reporter.- 5:15:00 Folksinger, Tom Rush, sings about war. '5:18:00 BBC piece from Australian on withdrawal of 1000 . more Australians from Vietnam and on attitudes of new Prime Minister on this issue. 5:20:30 Brief bridge 5:21:00' A true life serial following a day in the life of a young man who is presently undergoing treatment for methadone. Today deals with his experiences in trying to get a job, produced by Gwen Hudley. - 5 5:25:00 Robert Flack sings "The Sad-Young Men." 25:28:00 _Station break cue. '5?:45:00 5:48:00 5:52:55 5:53:00 5:57:50 5:58:30 6:02:00. 6:04:00. 6:05:00 ,r . 2. Unemployment special, pegged_to tomorrow's unemployment report to Senate action on public service employment and going to Seattle for insert on unemployment situation.there. i . Second city skit on work. Feature on attitudes toward work, including segment by Peter Nagan economics expert, journalist, on how-? lack of jobs for those 20 to-24 affects their attitudes," a segment from Yale Kenneth Kenniston, and a series of comments,from member Stations from - persons in a variety of occupations, from manual laborers to poets about their attitudes toward-work and how they have changed. Music Attitudes toward work reflected through work songs of miners and others. Segue to computer music with mechanical sound. International and national news summary ?Optional cue out News Background actualities continued Systems cue to station break Conley on President keeping Galley out of prison pending appeal. BBC on international Opinion on Calley verdict. Feature on April Fool's Day, its history, and how it has changed. NPR staffer Solo clarinet bridge. A farmer is forced to sell his farm at auction today near Pullman, Washington. KWSU provides a profile of the man with the recollections of 35 years of his family farm. The question is raised, Why, with all of the farm subsidies, he is forced to sell his farm. He has a good deal of bitterness about the Department of Agriculture policies which he feels helps the large.? corporate farmers, but wipes out the small farmers. - A USDA official listens to his story in Washington,? 6:12:30 and talks with him on the phone live. Music bridge using street vendor selling balloons._ 6:13:00 6:21:00 6:26:30 6:28:50 Special on resurgence_of religious_interest, with extracts from Aimee Semple McPherson recordings and closing with a feature by Dick Cerri on the rise of religious themes in today's pop music. One of- several in a series. - 'Interview with Congressman'trying to outlaw golf. Final April Fool's joke Systems one out. All Things Considered . 5:00 p.m. EST Friday, April 2, 1971 Program Logo TEASERS: Critics, artists, and the peeple Comment from public housing tenant TABLE OF CONTENTS: 5:02:00 5:25:00 5:30:30 . 5:31:00 5:38:00 . '34. Third_Anniversary of Martin Luther King's assasination Artists, critics, and the people - Opening of a new public housing development in Columbus Sunday, April 4, 1971, marks the-third anniversary of the assasination of the Reverend Martin Luther. 'King, Jr., while he was in Memphis, Tennessee, trying to improve the lot of the garbage workers. This segment of the program will feature as a follow?up to that event, a portrait in sound of two Memphis garbage workers, one White and one Black, produced by the_ nearest NPR member station. Today is payday and we will hear how they spend the money, follow them to their reSpective places of recreation, to their homes and families, listen to the music they enjoy. We will hear.of their astirations and their concerns and reflections upon Dr. King. Round?up of events planned in commemoration of the death of Martin Luther King around the country. An . assessment of Dr. King and the civil rights movement from Black newspaper editors around the country. Station break one: New JazzegOSpel sounds performed and discussed by Black chorus at University of Illinois, produced by WILL. Artists, critics, and the people. One of a continuing series on this general subject with an examination of the power and function of critics and who they serve. Critics will be talking about their work, artists will be talking about their View of critics, and people coming out of theaters will be discussing their reaction ?to the film they just saw and the influence that the critics had upon their enjoyment and evaluation of the film. The latter segment will be collected from member stations around the country. 5:47:15 5:48:00 5:52:55 5:53:00 5:57:50 5:58:30 6:28:50 Flute solo bridge News Optional cue out News Background actualities continued Systems cue to station break Segment originates from WOSU, Columbus, Ohio, where a new-public housing development is opening that day. Secretary of Housing and Urban DevelOpment, George Romney, was there for the Opening. He-will appear on the program answering.phone?in questions from listeners around the country along with Andreas Simeon, an architect and planner with Doxiades Associates, a husband and wife who have been tenants.in public housing in Columbus for the last ten years, and the contractor for the public housing project. They will be discussing, briefly, problems of public housing in the past, the unique characteristics of the new plan, and answer concerns that people have about housing generally. There will also be a report from the BBC on how they have solved their public housing problems. Systems one out.