The Honourable and the Hack
Work in Progress by Ivan Morgan
A long time ago my buddy and I had a gig on CBC national radio. It was a comedy show. We called ourselves The Awful Awful Men. It was a lot of fun, we had a good following across the country, and the money was great! Primarily it was based on the experiences and observations of two fortyish divorced dads. We were far from politically correct.
One thing we didn’t enjoy was the producers. Producers sat behind a desk deciding who would get on the air. Like every industry and profession there were good and great ones (you know who you are). There was also a goodly share of unimaginative bureaucrats who were heady with the power they perceived they had (as is always the case, you don’t know who you are). This being CBC in St. John’s the amount of arse-kissing by some in “the arts community” to producers to qualify for lovely CBC money was revolting. Unlike private radio, good ratings (which, surprisingly, we had) were not a big factor.
I mention this because now we have social media with no producers. Now you just put yourself online and if you are good, you will attract folks and make money and if you aren’t you won’t. No mission statements, no ideology, no gatekeepers. Just happy, delicious freedom of speech.
An excellent example of this new trend is a local production on YouTube called “The Honourable and the Hack.” It’s a local political vlog hosted by Andrew Parsons, former Liberal minister of everything, and journalist Alex Bill. Full disclosure, I know both in passing and respect them as levelheaded capable fellows.
Run, don’t walk to your nearest screen connected to the Internet and dial them up. They are a must see.
These are two smart connected fellows. So far, their show covers all the bases. I haven’t watched all the episodes yet, but they’ve interviewed a good cross section of people. It’s an engaging watch.
Can you hear the but…?
This is not criticism. This is an encouragement. I want to see them begin to feel their oats.
The show is interesting, but safe. I have said this before, and I will say it again. Traditional mainstream broadcast media is toast. It’s dead but don’t know it yet. Whether funded by government, or by private corporations, in the age of social media they are increasingly irrelevant. Bill knows this – he runs a private online news outlet. I assume Parsons does too because he’s on board.
They are just getting started and I am anxious to see how they evolve. I have a few suggestions. Watch Megyn Kelly, Joe Rogan and a few others from south of the border. Not for the content but to see the latitude they have given themselves over time. No more producers, no more network pressures, no more party pressures. Gentlemen, you are free!
Megyn Kelly (interestingly also a lawyer like Parsons and Bill) is arguably one of the most influential American political podcasters, who outperforms legacy media by miles, with an estimated 100 million views a month. You might think that is good, or bad. That doesn’t matter, it’s a fact. I have seen her speak about the beauty of having no behind the scenes people telling her what to do or say any more. It’s worked for her.
My message to the Honourable and the Hack: you have no one watching over your shoulder. Spread your intellectual wings. Push the staid and predictable boundaries of Newfoundland politics so many of us are tired of. In my little corner of the universe, I get many responses from readers fed to the back teeth with same-old same-old. You two gentlemen have the platform, the connections and the intelligence to work outside the box. Fill yer boots!
I suspect you will build a strong following. Stop being so safe. Be edgy. You can do what you want on YouTube. Say what you want. Swear if you want (Parsons swore twice in the first episode!). You both know what’s wrong with our system – say it. Live a little.
The past is the past. Your podcast could very well be the future.
I’m already a big fan. To quote the TV character Frazier Crane (who I have been unfavourably compared to in the past), “I’m listening.”
Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com