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PODCAST #86: Greg Bledsoe, solo video journalist, on the Family Geography Project

When I started this podcast nine years ago, I assumed at some point I would interview Greg Bledsoe.

At the time he was the reigning two-time NPPA national Solo Video Journalist of the Year. He was one of the most talented photojournalists in the country AND one of the most talented writers in the country. His work gleamed with empathy.

I eventually reached out to Bledsoe for an interview for my book, The Solo Video Journalist. I met him in his home city of San Diego and asked him all about his gear: what he used, how he stored it, and how he found time to manage and maintain it amidst his many responsibilities. Bledsoe was generous with both his time and his tremendous knowledge.

The book’s second edition came out in the fall of 2020, shortly before he took the biggest leap of his career.

Bledsoe had worked at KNSD in San Diego for roughly two decades. He had risen up the ranks to morning show anchor and enterprise reporter. But last year he decided to embark on a long-held dream: to travel the country for a full year and visit all 50 states with his wife and two children.

He’s ten months into the journey now. It’s called the Family Geography Project, and it includes dozens of stories Bledsoe has produced through the trip.

Bledsoe is my guest on Episode 86 of the Telling the Story podcast.

The Family Geography Project – and the sharp career break it has required – is fascinating. But  just as compelling is Bledsoe’s advice on storytelling, managing gear, and simply taking chances. As always, it’s a worthy listen.

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5 lessons from the NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism 2020 video winners

We were all tested in 2020.

Every life was touched in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic, which remains a constant factor in our activities and decisions more than a year since it began. Video journalists faced a wave of limitations and restrictions as we attempted to stay safe while doing our jobs, in a year where our jobs felt more vital than ever.

I was reminded of this as I watched this year’s winners of the NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism awards for video photography and video editing.

Some were shot before the pandemic. Most were shot during. All reflected dedication to the craft of journalism and storytelling – with an extra dose of perseverance.

Here were five lessons I learned from five winning entries:

THE STORY: The Uprising, by Corinne Chin, Lauren Frohne, & Ramon Dompor (Seattle Times)
THE LESSON: Cover the macro and the micro.

After George Floyd was killed in late May, protests broke out across the country. So many visual journalists arrived on the scene and produced moving, powerful stories, often through the raw emotion on display. At a time of massive unrest and racial reckoning, these stories were essential in conveying the anger, heartbreak, and frustration of those in the middle.

I particularly appreciated those that found the big picture through the journeys of individuals.

That’s what this trio of Seattle Times photojournalists accomplish here. They cover the evolution of the protests in Seattle, from the days after Floyd’s death to the creation of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). But they deliver this narrative through the eyes of three protesters, each with distinct personal histories and outlooks, to show the micro in the midst of the macro.

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3 GREAT STORIES: Starring Passover, paint & Shakespeare

Every week, I shine the spotlight on some of the best storytelling in the business and offer my comments. “3 Great Stories of the Week” will post every Monday at 8 AM.

Meet a Southern Baptist matzoh expert (4/18/16, The Sporkful): This week marks the continuation of Passover, the eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating the exodus from Egypt.

Like many Jewish holidays, it is notable for its history as well as its food.

On a holiday where Jews are instructed to give up bread and other leavened products, the most fascinating food is matzoh, or unleavened bread. Very few podcasts would devote a whole episode to the cracker-like cuisine, but The Sporkful is one … and it does a great job.

Host Dan Pashman delves deep into matzoh with several enjoyable interviews, one of which features a Southern Baptist who once played a major role with the Manischewitz company. Like most episodes of The Sporkful, this one is inventive and enjoyable thanks to Pashman’s passion.

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