Journalistic embarrassment
Especially one I'd just as soon forget
Chapter 41 in my new not-quite-a-memoir book contains the story of my most embarrassing episode in journalism.
Just let it be known that even today I blanche as I recall it, and, yes, it is among the stories “I’d just as soon forget” as advertised in the subtitle to Broadcast Live.
Even so, we pause today to remember what is almost certainly journalism’s biggest, most famous gaffe—at least in America. It happened 77 years ago next Monday.
It’s the day the Chicago Tribune notoriously headlined “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN” in its early editions. Oops.
The background story is interesting.
The Trib’s Washington bureau chief, Arthur Sears Henning, firmly believed—like most other “experts”—that Thomas Dewey was going to win the presidency handily. So when some early returns showed Harry Truman running strong, he brushed them off and the Trib went ahead with the early-edition error.
Henning, in Chicago at the time, went downstairs in Tribune Tower to appear on WGN Radio and discuss the Dewey victory. While he was there, the error became clear to people upstairs in the Trib newsroom.
There was an “all-hands-on-deck” effort to recall and collect the thousands of wrong-result papers being distributed. But the gatherers forgot about the newsstand inside the Tribune Tower lobby. That’s where rivals from the Chicago Herald-American spotted them and gleefully, shall we say, scooped up an armful.
Two days later, one wound up in Harry Truman’s hands at a St. Louis train station.
Harder than it sounds
I’m midway through a three-day stretch in a suburban Phoenix recording studio, giving voice and interpretation to the audiobook edition of Broadcast Live.
As an old (and I do mean old) radio guy who’s delivered thousands of live newscasts, you might think reading my own words written over the past couple of years would be a breeze.
Wrong, kemo sabe.
I’ve developed a whole new appreciation for the professionals who spend hour after hour behind the mic, bringing other people’s writing to life. It’s far tougher than it looks.
I was already impressed with Keith Sellon-Wright’s narration of my earlier books—his precision with names and places, and his deft touch with courtroom dialogue. Experiencing the process firsthand has raised that admiration even more.
I’m also greatly appreciative of the technicians/directors/producers who help deliver a desirable result. In my case, it’s Nick Tantillo, who produced Jane Goodell’s final book.
RBmedia, the world’s largest audiobook publisher, expects to bring me back into the studio in early December for a few anticipated “do-overs.” The Broadcast Live audiobook is scheduled for release Jan. 20.
By the way, Amazon is still having delivery problems on the hardcover edition. Best bet for quicker delivery? BookBaby
Driver beware
Mary and I have obviously landed in suburban Phoenix, our winter refuge, where belt buckles are heroic, cactus doubles as lawn décor and salad ingredient, and the first driver to leap forward when the light turns green should be placed on suicide watch.
Here in the Valley of the Sun, red-light running isn’t just common—it’s practically the state sport. The most dangerous contestants are those who believe a red left-turn arrow still carries the divine afterglow of the green that flashed several heartbeats ago, even as oncoming traffic charges from the gate.
Arizona may be famously conservative about most things, but not about driving. The local commandments: Stay in your lane. Assume the other guy won’t. Drive like hell. And always hesitate when your light turns green.
Ignore Mr. Impatient leaning on his horn behind you. You might just live longer.
A frightful flick
Regular readers know I hold CNN and SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish in high regard as a steady, thoughtful voice in today’s noisy mediascape. His balanced, independent analysis and gift for encouraging civil conversation across political lines feel more essential than ever.
One reason his programs work so well is their interactive element: a daily audience poll that invites opinions on timely questions. Though they’re an unscientific sampling, the results often spark genuine, nuanced dialogue about public attitudes.
That idea takes me back to my radio days, when we hosted call-in polls that proved surprisingly accurate at predicting local election outcomes. Maybe that’s why I still have a fondness for this kind of quick, grassroots gauge of opinion.
(All of this leads directly into some thoughts about a new Netflix offering, so stay with me here.)
In Smerconish’s Oct. 18 poll, nearly 56,000 respondents were asked what worries them most about the future. Over half (52 percent) chose “societal instability.” The rest of the breakdown: artificial intelligence (17 percent), climate change (14 percent), cybersecurity threats (7 percent), nuclear war (7 percent), and global pandemics (2 percent).
If those 56,000 respondents had watched “A House of Dynamite,” a fact-based thriller new to Netflix last week, “nuclear war” would have shot to the top of the “worries” list.
The premise couldn’t be starker: A single intercontinental ballistic missile is spotted over the Pacific, heading straight for Chicago. Suddenly, America’s leaders must decide how to respond. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Director Kathryn Bigelow deserves credit for crafting tension that doesn’t just keep viewers on edge; it lingers long after the credits roll.
“We need to be much more informed,” Bigelow told media at September’s Venice Film Festival. “If we’re to survive, my hope is that we can finally have an honest conversation about nuclear weapons and nonproliferation.”
So, while classic scares like “Nightmare on Elm Street” or “The Exorcist” may be your planned viewing this Halloween weekend, if you want a truly chilling experience, consider “A House of Dynamite.”
Sometimes the scariest stories are the ones closest to reality.
Black Rabbit
One brother is bad. The other brother is very bad. Chaos erupts when Brother #1 lets Brother #2 back into his life.
That’s the essence of “Black Rabbit,” an eight-part series new on Netflix last month. I was drawn to it because I’m a fan of both lead actors, Jason Bateman (you’ll remember him from “Ozark”) as VBB (very bad brother) and Jude Law (“Talented Mr. Ripley”) as BB.
Episode one starts with a violent stick-up in Brother #1’s hot restaurant-bar. Before we know it, we’re drug into a dark flashback that eventually reveals why Brother #2 is so messed up and proceeds to kind of make you wish the show had a couple fewer episodes.
In the end, a faint glow of hope breaks through the deep gloom. Law and Bateman serve up layered, absorbing performances. And I’m only half glad I watched it.
The Squeeze is on
Just back from a nine-city European tour, our niece Lauren’s husband Max and his band have begun a nine-day residency with the legendary Joffrey Ballet.
“The Main Squeeze” is with the Joffrey company at the University of Notre Dame for four performances and then moves up the road to Chicago’s Harris Theater for five shows.
Max reports it’s the first time in Joffrey’s storied history that its dancers have performed with a live band on stage.
Halloween hats
Our arrival in Arizona came just in time to celebrate a string of family birthdays and, of course, Halloween.
Halloween here feels like a larger-than-life party, partly because it sits on the cusp of “Dia de los Muertos” (the Day of the Dead), the Mexican tradition that honors life even as it remembers those who came before us.
Our daughter Krista and granddaughter MJ are pictured here in their new, handmade witches’ hats—stitched by Mary with patient, quilted grace. (Imagine fashioning a hat that spirals perfectly to a point—a spell few of us would attempt to cast.)
Krista and MJ will don their hats tonight as neighbors drift toward the familiar glow of the driveway potluck—a not-so-small circle of belonging where the chatter feels like home and one easy stroll around the pavement fills every child’s bucket with candy.
Hope you’re brewing up a delightfully spooky Halloween with just the right potion and portion of frightful fun. And thanks for reading!
Mary, your hats are wonderful!
Good luck on the recording, Steve. Did I ever mention that I did voice work? For corporate videos, commercials, etc. Not as easy as it sounds.
Excellent. Great variety. Enjoy the sun