CHRIS LASZCZ-DAVIS EXPOSURE REDUX
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Sorry Chris, now we know!
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As this publication is wont to do from time to time a few "minor" interpretations of Chris' presentation last week need further clarification. For instance:
Chris went to undergraduate school at Notre Dame...double major - Biology and Chemistry.
Got accepted to medical school back east, but was offered a fellowship in the 70's to graduate school at the University of Minnesota to major in Environmental Engineering.
The beginnings of the environmental movement intrigued her, so she did an about face, side stepped medical school and went onto graduate school.
Work over the years - Department of Energy (Washington DC and out west), UC Lawrence Livermore Labs and Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation. Retired from Kaiser and set up own firm specializing in environmental, health, safety & product related issues.
Husband's name is Steve.
Other than that, the editor and our crack staff got it exactly right!
BRIEF BUT TO THE POINT When the tears subsided after Buddy's announcement that his tenure as program chair ends next week, he introduced today's guest with obvious zest. |
Deborah's latin refresher
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Debra Saunders, Chronicle columnist who's seen in a lot of newspapers, likes to keep things short. She started out illustrating this by reading a poem by Catellus in Latin, a short one saying I hate and I love. This is a contrast to wordy poets such as Homer and Virgil. She applies this philosophy to good column writing. (It's a wonder Buddy got her here, since he graces all his emails with "I didn't have time to write a short note, so I wrote a long one instead.") She does feel that a columnist is supposed to be opinionated. She also differs from most columnists in that they generally try to preview the news, whereas she waits until it happens, even at the risk of it being old news.This allows for more analysis. At this point, true to her tendency toward conciseness, she asked for questions, and there were quite a few. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE CHRONICLE? It's good at local coverage. Great work about the Bay Bridge - the reporter became really knowledgeable about rods and bolts. Debra remarked that the Bay Area apparently is filled with "self-loathing drivers." Only in the Bay Area would an unsafe bridge be tolerated for 24 years. Two especially egregious causes for delay in her view were putting the addition of a light rail on the ballot when there's no room on the bridge, and Willie Brown's efforts to get the bridge named after him. Rich Shearer suggested having a 20-year deceased requirement for naming any public works after anyone, but Debra doubted that taking away possible glory from current politicians would ever fly. IS AMERICA'S CUP A GOOD NEWSPAPER TOPIC? Yes, but it takes a tremendous amount of work. Debra doesn't do sports. C.W. Nevius did very good reporting on this. WHY HAS NO ONE REPLACED HERB CAEN? The Chronicle has tried. Leah Garchik is really good, but she's a woman. Everyone thought Herb had a great life that can't be replicated. WHAT'S THE PROCESS TO PRODUCE A COLUMN? | Scintillating Q&A |
There are brainstorming meetings every day. Ideas generally are not vetoed, although the publisher has the power to do so. Often it's a matter of timing. Debra wrote on Nancy Pelosi's 2007 visit to Syria because Pelosi happened to visit next door. IS IT GOOD OR BAD THAT PAPERS ARE BOUGHT UP? Anti-trust suits are brought against national chains. This is good because the Chronicle has been unprofitable for 10 years, although a profit expected this year. When there's consolidation, employees tend to be thinned out and overworked. No one in Sacramento represents a Bay Area newspaper now, whereas there used to be a bureau of 5 people. There's some hope that things may turn around to some extent. WHAT'S THE PROCESS BY WHICH EDITORIAL SUPPORT OF CANDIDATES IS DECIDED? Editorial support doesn't mean much except for the smaller candidates and propositions. The editor solicits political positions. The publisher could overrule this, but tends to leave it alone. The board actually does a pretty good job, and everyone should read an editorial before voting on the issue. WHAT ABOUT THE STATE WATER TUNNEL AND THE HIGH SPEED RAIL? If it takes decades to rebuild the Bay Bridge, how can we do this? WHERE DID THE SUNDAY RESEARCH TYPE ARTICLES GO? The paper used to have its own investigative reporting. Now little "think tanks" do it for numerous papers. ARE NEWSPAPERS ALL GOING TO FOLD? Most papers are still making money. The Chronicle tended to be unprofitable because it was originally overstaffed. Others make money by cutting back. The paper shouldn't give away stuff free, and it can't make money on the internet. Bloggers are unreliable. (With apologies to Debra's husband, who is one.) Newspapers are needed because you need to know what you don't know. We can end with what Debra said about herself, according to a secret document obtained by this investigative reporter: DEBRA J. SAUNDERS Call it kismet. Started work in politics as a Republican in Massachusetts. Now I write a conservative column for the San Francisco Chronicle. I was meant to be a traditional thinker in a liberal town. But first there was other work: Waitress, secretary, student, insurance broker, then politics. Sold freelance pieces, then actually got a job in journalism. In 1992, the Chronicle called; 18 years later, here I am, the paper's token traditional columnist. People always ask how I've lasted all these years. The honest answer is, I don't know. It's a mystery. On good days, it even feels like a miracle." |