VMD: In addition to serving as VPR’s Statehouse correspondent and hosting the call-in program Switchboard one night a week, you are director of the Vermont News Service. Could you tell us what the Vermont News Service is?

BK: It’s a statewide radio news network. I produce a six- or seven-minute report every day called “Dateline Montpelier” that is syndicated to 12 stations around the state. About half the stations air the program in its entirety, while other stations might run one of my stories, then use the actualities from another story and rewrite it themselves. (Editor’s note: Actualities is the radio news term for what are now commonly referred to as sound bites, i.e. pre-recorded snippets of a newsmaker’s voice.)

VMD: You’ve been covering the news in Vermont since 1977. How has Vermont’s radio news coverage changed during that time?

BK: When I started, a lot of stations had at least one news person, some had two or three, and there was a real commitment to radio news. In towns like Burlington and Brattleboro radio news was very competitive. It’s really changed over 20 years; in some cases radio news directors have become an endangered species.

Some stations still make a great commitment, but the number has dropped by 50 percent in the last 20 years. Some stations just rely on wire services entirely now. With the number of news directors falling, it’s great to see when a station decides to have their own local news director. It’s one of the things that distinguishes a radio station, especially with the advent of nationally syndicated programming. If a listener can get a national program like Imus in the Morning, why is he going to listen to a show produced in Vermont instead? Local information and community-oriented broadcasting is a way to compete against national programming.

VMD: In 200 words or less, can you say how Vermont has changed in your time reporting the news here?

BK: (Laughing) That’s a tough question. Development has changed dramatically across the state in the last 20 years, and you see that most in Chittenden County. And issues at the Statehouse have gotten much more complicated for lawmakers to deal with, from economic development to restructuring electric utilities.

That’s one of the reasons we’re having longer sessions up there. The issues are much more complicated, and the Legislature needs more opportunity to discuss them. For the most part, I think the Legislature does a very good job. They’re hard-working people, most of whom are not career politicians, trying to make complex decisions.

VMD: You ran for the state Senate in 1994. Did that experience change the way you report the news?

BK: It had a tremendous impact, particularly in the kind of issues I’ve covered since coming back. When I campaigned, I spent a lot of time in the parking lots of supermarkets ... and I was really struck by how important economic issues and jobs are for a lot of people. The best way to describe it is that I found out there are far more people than I thought for whom spending an extra 20 or 25 dollars that week at the supermarket represented a major financial decision. ...

For me as a reporter, it got me away from inside Statehouse political stories. Stories like, maybe a bill won’t come out of committee because somebody is mad at somebody else. Those are still interesting stories and other people do a good job covering them, but I wonder if the person in the parking lot really cares about them. So I do what I call “Inside the Beltway” stories less and less.

VMD: Do you cover only the Statehouse?

BK: Sometimes I’ll do other things. I cover Washington as closely as I can with the Congressional delegation, and I cover the Governor more closely outside the session. Politics is generally the beat, though I try to do health care stories and economic development stories. I don’t do courtroom stuff — the police blotter — unless it’s just a huge story that everyone is interested in.

VMD: What elements does a story need to make it good for radio?

BK: You need to have the dynamics of any good story: it affects people directly, or people they know. Or if it’s a human interest story, it needs to be so compelling that it’s of interest to everyone.

Good sound effects always help, and having a good, solid person clearly articulating the issues makes a big difference. One of the things I won’t do is air a story unless I have the sound of the newsmaker. Sound is very important to me and very important to radio. I’ve got to hear the newsmakers themselves, hear the inflection in their voices. It’s one thing to report that someone felt strongly, and another to hear their hand pounding on the table, to hear the intensity in their voice.

VMD: Do you accept actualities?

BK: I don’t. The congressional delegation has gotten very sophisticated in their actuality capability, but I want to ask questions. Otherwise, it’s just like having a politician read their press release on the air.

VMD: What’s the best approach for getting an issue covered on Switchboard?

BK: I work with producer Steve Young, and try to map out a month at a time. During the legislative session it’s a little bit easier, because there are a lot of issues percolating. We have a lot of people pitching us ideas for Switchboard, and luckily we have three nights a week.

My night is usually very political. Last night Steve did a story on the (ice-storm damaged) tree situation in Burlington. A lot of shows are on health-oriented topics. Since we get a lot of proposals, I encourage people to put it on one piece of paper and send it to us. We take everything under consideration, and any one of us could end up doing a show on any subject.

Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted in winter 1997/98. The names and organizations mentioned were current as of that time.

VMD: How would you describe the overall mission at the Burlington Free Press Capitol Bureau?

JG: The Capitol Bureau is the newspaper’s eye on state government and also more broadly on the state, particularly outside of Chittenden County. The newspaper focuses on state issues, but the people in Burlington focus very heavily on our main readership area, which is Chittenden County and the surrounding counties. What we do here is keep an eye on what’s going on in the Statehouse and in the rest of the government. We also try to look out at the rest of the state and write stories about things that are happening that may or may not have to do with government.

VMD: When you look ahead to this coming legislative session, what do you see as the big issues? How do you see these issues taking shape over the next few months?

JG: This legislative session is going to be very interesting because the Democrats have taken control of the Statehouse. Now they’re going to have a chance to either accomplish the agenda they sold to voters or not. Property tax reform is clearly at the top of the list. The issue of school quality is also a big one. This may come out in a debate over school choice, whether to let parents use public money to pay tuition at private schools. Campaign finance reform, whether to lessen the influence of corporations, political action committees and party machines, will be a hot topic; the governor’s behind that. Utility deregulation, whether to introduce more competition into the electric industry, will be an issue. Professional regulation has become an important issue for lawmakers. The Free Press actually did a series of stories about how Vermont’s professional regulation system is slow

VMD: How effectively do you think Governor Dean will work with the Democratic Legislature? Do you think it will be an extremely productive legislative session?

JG: That’s the big question. Dean has traditionally been a very independent minded governor who hasn’t always had the best relationship with Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature. But this year he’s got the Democratic majority. He played a key role in taking back the Senate for the Democrats. He was out there campaigning for Democratic candidates. He has been working behind the scenes to craft some united approaches to legislation, which is a breakthrough, I’m told. So Governor Dean feels, along with others in the party, that the Democrats will be more of a team this session. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. I really can’t predict.

VMD: Is there anything in particular that you look for in a story? What kinds of stories will be appealing to you in 1997?

JG: A good story is one that’s interesting and important. We like to write about things that are new, about fresh angles on familiar issues, about people and ideas that will bring our readers’ understanding to a new level. When it comes to government, I am particularly interested in how government affects the lives of ordinary people.

VMD: What sorts of stories do you cover when the Legislature is not in session?

JG: When the Legislature is not in session, we have more freedom to get around Vermont and tell interesting stories. They may have to do with government, or they may not. The more human, the better.

VMD: How far in advance do you look for stories? What are your editorial deadlines?

JG: Sometimes we decide to do a story a month in advance, sometimes we run out the door the minute we hear. As a general rule, it’s unrealistic to think that we can respond to most story ideas instantly. Call a week or a few days in advance. We generally finish our work day around 6 p.m.

VMD: What’s the best format to get in touch with you — phone, fax, letter or e-mail? When is the best time to get in touch with you?

JG: All of the above work. It helps to have something in writing, and then a phone call to see if we’re interested. The best time to get in touch is early; after 4 p.m. we’re generally under the gun.

VMD: Would you prefer to be told about a photo opportunity or to be sent prints or negatives along with a press release?

JG: It never hurts to send a photo and press release. But if it’s worth a photo on our pages, we will often take one ourselves.

VMD: Is a PR practitioner better off approaching you with a story idea or someone else on the staff here at the Capitol Bureau? Do writers cover specific beats?

JG: If you know a reporter covers a specific topic, call him or her. If not, talk to anyone who answers the phone.

VMD: What other words of advice would you give someone trying to interest you in a story?

JG: We value people calling us with ideas. Please understand, however, that we can only write a fraction of what is presented to us. Bring us a great story and we’ll pay attention.

VMD: Thank you very much for your time.


Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted in winter 1997/98. The names and organizations mentioned were current as of that time.