WNIJ’s Peter Medlin recently got the chance to talk with Scott Simon, the legendary host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” about the future of public radio, keeping calm through chaotic news cycles, and what his daughter told him about his work that he’ll never forget...
Peter Medlin (PM): “Scott, you've chosen to spend your career in public media and, obviously right now, the future of the service feels more uncertain than ever. So, I'm curious, what keeps you hopeful about the future of public radio?”
Scott Simon (SS): “The people I hear from each and every day, in places like Illinois and all across the country, who tell me that they listen to us, they depend on us, what we do is important, and they want to help. I think that's absolutely wonderful and, I must say, God bless, I don't think a lot of our colleagues in the news business that work at other places get those kinds of emails. You know, ‘Oh, New York Times, I think what you're doing is important and I want to help you out any way I can.’ They might buy a subscription, but they don't help out any way they can.
We hear from people all the time who tell [us that] because of their support, we've been able to produce the kind of shows that are important to them, that reach out to them, that reach something within them; and their local stations are important voices in the community that allow people in the community to be able to hear each other. So, that's what gives me hope.”
(PM): "There's a 'Weekend Edition' promo our listeners sometimes hear where you say ‘The news doesn't have to make you angry or uselessly anxious. It doesn't have to be loud or constantly breaking.’ Does it feel harder than ever to live up to that?"
(SS): "You know, it's always hard. Maybe it feels a little harder now, but it's also more important than ever to do it now. It's more important than ever, I think, to be there for people and to provide information, but also provide a sense that that we can understand this together, and we can reach across the boundaries that divide so many Americans from each other and be a common source of information to each other."
(PM): "I think one thing that stands out about your work on ‘Weekend Edition’ is, I think you can feel the empathy behind the conversation. I'm curious about how you continue to center empathy as an interviewer while also asking difficult questions."
(SS): "Oh, I don't think about it too much. I think that's just the way I am. I don't know, at least, that's what our daughters have concluded. May I tell a story about one of our daughters when they were younger?"
(PM): "Absolutely."
(SS): "My wife called me up once, and she was laughing because she thought I should know this. I think our oldest daughter was like five or six at the time. She had a play date with a young boy from her grade school. They asked each other, ‘What does your daddy do for a living?’ And her little friend said, ‘Oh, my father is a clean water expert! He goes all over the world and helps provide clean, fresh water to people who need it most and saves billions of lives! What does your daddy do?’ And our daughter said, ‘He talks.’ I'll never forget that! [laughs] But, you know, there's something to be said for being able to talk to people, that blessing we have to be a part of so many lives. I think that's irreplaceable, and I think it's more important than ever that we try and keep doing it for everybody in the country."
(PM): "Yeah, and speaking of being part of a community, obviously, public radio is this unique, huge network of stations around the country, stations like ours here at WNIJ. I'm wondering about how you see your relationship with and your place in that mosaic."
(SS): "It is a relationship. We do not exist without the support of the American public, without the support of, forgive me, listeners like you who are willing to step up and make a contribution to keep us going. Every day we think, ‘Is this a story that's going to reach people? Is this a story that is going to say something to people?’ I would much rather be beholden to individual listeners in a community like DeKalb, which I know to be varied in so many ways. It's an academic community. It's an agricultural community. It's Northern Illinois. I would much rather be beholden to ordinary American citizens than major corporations and, for that matter, foundations and large financial interests -- as much as we need them too. I think it's very good to have that relationship, and for us to be dependent upon the whole of the American public. I think that's going to be a good light for us to keep in our eyes, to look out for their interests."
(PM): "What’s something about journalism or about public radio that you just wish more people knew?"
(SS): "In journalism, it's funny, we get to meet people and, inside of half a minute, we're asking them often about the most important thing in their lives. I mean, what a blessing and what a responsibility that is. We don't have time to ‘How are you? Good! Tell me a little bit about yourself?’ We talk to people who've just lived through a hurricane. ‘What happened? Who did you lose?’ We talk to people, and I've talked to many, obviously, I've shared the experience with them trying to survive through war. Same sort of thing, ‘What happened? Is someone you love not with us anymore?’ For that matter, we've stopped people on the street and said, ‘What's the most important issue facing America right now?’
I think that is a great blessing and, to do it, we have to be respectful, and we have to be even reverent and well-mannered, but we also have to be insistent and persistent. I think that's important work and it's worth doing now more than ever."
(PM): "Scott Simon, thank you so much for joining us. I know we could have spent that whole time talking about (Chicago Cubs centerfielder) Pete Crow-Armstrong, but maybe next time."
(SS): "I hope so! World Series time, preferably!"
(PM): "Thank you so much, Scott."
(SS): "Thank you."
