Wisdom Outta Brooklyn

I visited a class at Brooklyn College Radio a few weeks back, one taught by impressive independent producer Ann Heppermann.

The students -- most in their 20s -- has listened to some public radio, but what they heard by and large wasn't to their cup of tea. In extensive discussions and listening sessions, I heard from some in the class how they viewed the editing process. To at least one person, editing seemed to compromise artistic vision and integrity. A piece no longer was theirs, but someone else's. In the process of editing, the feeling was something critical got lost. To be fair, they are all very early in their lives as producers. And, we have encountered good and bad editors, those who improve your work and those who really do butcher it.

But the need for authenticity of voice and outlets that credibly spoke to what these students felt was a 'true' story really stuck with me. Their critical minds and sharp observations gave me a lot to think about on the long drive from NYC to Cambridge.

In a listening session I played them a couple pieces: Gut Feeling by Norm Barry, produced by the CBC. And, The Thing About Being Teenage Mother..Is That I'm Young by Curie Youth Radio.

The initial reaction to the 13-minute Gut Feeling was that is was too long, too slow. One student said this story, filled with regret for the accidental deaths of two people, wasn't anything to the regrets he had in life. Tragedy only seems that way if you haven't experienced something worse. But other students liked the piece. One said he "could listen to that guy all day." Another woman found it very compelling and gripping. Take a listen.

I chose The Thing About Being Teenage Mother..Is That I'm Young because I figured this was a younger story, closer to their age and perhaps their experiences. And it was! But the class spit along gender lines, with the women finding the story 'true' in a life sense. And many of the men laughed hearing these teenage girls talk about their unplanned pregnancies. The sense from them was that what a lot of the girls said in the story sounded, 'stupid.' I think they meant in the sense that the girls were not articulating any meaningful awareness of their situation..or how they got in it.

And one student brought up one of the more insightful observations: that this piece fed into the listener stereotype of minority, unwed pregnant girls. When, as statistics show, most unwated teen pregnancies are by white middle class teenagers. "How come we don't hear about the white girl on Long Island," he asked.

Fair point.

These students made sharp observations that any good editor has to confront. But I also got a look into a changing nature of trust: just because public radio said it and the pieces sounded produced, that sure didnt make it so. Plus, what they bring to the act of listening is a critical deconstruction of motive and message--as susipcious of facts as of the storyteller.

This is a good thing, and I encourage more public radio editors to spend time with the students --and Ann -- at Brooklyn College Radio.