Obama and Clinton & Apollo and Jupiter (with thanks to Bob Dylan)

Changing of the Guards is a Bob Dylan song from the late 1970s. It’s not widely known or performed much anymore, but it seems appropriate for our current time. The opening line is “Sixteen years”. The rest of the song is a stream of consciousness in richly drawn images. But the messages resonate now--powerfully--as we plod along in the process of choosing a president.

(here are the full lyrics)

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bob+dylan/changing+of+the+guard_20166482.html

When I heard the song recently that opening line made me think about the back-to-back, two-term, presidencies of the first Clinton and the second Bush. It has been 16 years of polarized politics and mean-spirited mayhem, at our expense. While the Bush failures and destructive policies are unprecedented, Bill Clinton—and now Hilary—focus on the negative, with too much delight. Barack Obama’s early success grew from his ability to inspire something better in people. John McCain, in his own way, at least offers the hope of more civility in government. Yet there is an abiding feeling, reflected in the success of attack politics, that a positive focus and failing to “go negative” equal weakness. The flawed reasoning goes something like this: “If (s)he is not tough enough to deal with negative ads, how can he stand up to tyrants?”

In the middle of Changing of the Guards there is the line, “She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo”. Jupiter represents the most powerful chief of the Roman gods. Apollo is the artistic, musical, poetic deity, with the ability to function as a healer. As a nation we must not be afraid to encourage the “Apollos” of the world to step up and lead. But when we are afraid, Jupiter becomes the dominant model of leadership; power, the story goes, is needed to confront power. Remembering President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s warning, that fear itself is what we must fear most, Apollo should be our leadership model at this critical moment in history. Right now, Barack Obama best represents these ideals.

Obama must not be afraid, as he is forced to defend himself against charges of elitism. Instead he ought to fearlessly face the fact that his greatest test will be building a government that will inspire trust and respect, both of which have been damaged during the last 16 years. Obama’s strategic vision and actual plans for how this government will operate should be revealed right away, with as much detail as possible. Rather than simply a list of policy initiatives, Obama ought to tell us, today, the way things will really work if he is elected. With little executive experience, this is particularly critical for the senator from Illinois. Share an honest plan that will include a sense of each cabinet member’s role, rich with examples and metaphors that will help us understand how a President Obama would govern. And don’t be afraid to share ideas about specific personnel. If this is done well, it will serve as a compelling piece of the puzzle that voters will have to solve as they choose between Jupiter and Apollo in the months between now and November.

Hilary Clinton has been a remarkable campaigner, winning important primaries and prolonging the race. Much has been already written about the cost of the enmity created and the negativism used to keep her campaign alive. And the comparisons of the charismatic male in whose shadow she worked as first lady, to the charismatic candidate she now opposes, are meaningful but overstated. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama should never be confused with each other. Hilary and Bill share many qualities and seem more alike than different, at least in style if not speaking ability; Hilary and Barack would bring complementary qualities to a ticket or government. When Barack creates his blueprint, maybe Hilary should be penciled in as attorney general or the first to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. Again, don’t be afraid; use the best and brightest our county has to offer, a category in which Sen. Clinton clearly belongs.

We are reminded, as we write, that our focus and interests are more communication and culture, rather than politics and government. The media, new and old, would be well-served by finding new metaphors for the campaign and the future of the country. Our demographically driven, map focused realities are critical to understanding, but offer only one dimension. To place our future in new contexts—some of them even ancient, like mythology—will serve all of us by bringing needed insight and clarity to the task of choosing the next president. Unless we see in new, creative ways, we will be stuck in the divisive and destructive politics of the last 16 years.

The Future of News

Most television newscasts, on most stations, in most parts of the country, are mostly the same. The “actors” are different, both the on-air anchors and reporters, and the persons who are covered by the news team. But the stories and situations are usually predictable. How TV news covers those situations, and reports those stories, needs to change in order to grow and become important to those who are currently watching and the many who don’t watch, but would if the programs meant more to them.

As in most arenas, innovation in technology precedes innovation in content and form; TV news is way behind in terms of delivering its content in ways that take advantage of the newest and most meaningful technologies. Too often, form and technology become the story instead of the story itself driving the coverage. Story fundamentals remain the heart and soul of good and compelling media. The dramatic narrative of daily news coverage can benefit and grow by using specific new technologies in more effective and immediate fashion.

First, smaller cameras give news men and women advantages and, literally, angles yet to be explored and developed. Too often, however, the new breed of “VJs” (Video Journalists) are trying to tell stories in the old way, when a reporter and photographer—usually with a large camera—went out and covered traditional packages, or voiceovers and sound bites. Instead, these new story tellers should be looking to a more inchoate (sorry for the SAT word, but it works) and fundamental method of connecting with the audience. When storytellers came and entertained and educated their audience, whether their own family or a larger community, they did it simply around the dinner table, campfire, local bar or coffee shop. Now we have incredible tools to help tell those stories, to millions of people with pictures, sound, graphics and the attractive human story-teller, who is now accessible to her (or his) listeners and viewers.

In order to move forward we need a combination of talented risk takers and newsroom employees who are driven by a pioneering sense of excitement. Enlightened leadership may not drive these changes, but would certainly accelerate the pace. More likely, economic realities will lead the charge forcing the current realignments we are seeing at stations across the country. For those companies and organizations willing to risk, for great reward, the benefits will be substantial. We have seen how “viral videos” take on a life of their own. Younger viewers want new forms that are clearly different from mom and dad’s evening newscasts. Mom and dad, who are the bedrock 25-54 demographic that watches news, will adjust if the content and delivery are relevant and compelling; new formats must be well-done, however. It is not enough to try something new. Something new must be worth watching and provide value that helps viewers get through the day.

The other technological imperative driving new ways of delivering the news is more akin to traditional radio than TV. The web based components of news departments have to offer the news as it happens, in engaging ways. Instead of waiting for the evening newscast to air, developing stories have to be shared, responsibly, as they are developing. The world wide web and its progeny—iPhones, Blackberries, and phone delivered content—must drive the traditional newscasts, not the other way around.

After long years of not much changing in TV news we have an exciting opportunity to link good TV with new technologies in ways not possible until now. As is the case with most of television, one big breakthrough will spawn imitators and copycats. That is good. The way media evolves is not a zero sum proposition. We know that radio did not put the movies or newspapers out of business, nor did TV. For that matter radio, TV, the internet, newspapers coexist and evolve. But as the media scholar Neil Postman teaches, there are winners and losers with any new technology. Someone in the TV news universe is going to win big when it comes to really using the new technologies in ways that benefit everyone.

New Suspects

In the classic film Casablanca, after the Nazi Major Strasse is shot, the prefect of police, Capt. Renault, tells his men to “round up the usual suspects”. If you remember the movie, you’ll recall that Renault represents the status quo, the man who is a survivor, with just a few redeeming qualities. Of course Renault was not a fool; he knew what he was doing. But Renault is not an innovator or a real leader, not the kind of person who makes a difference. The real leaders in the movie are Rick, memorably played by Humphrey Bogart, and the resistance leader, Victor Lazlo. These two compete for the affection of the beautiful Ilsa, played by Ingrid Bergman.

As I watch what is happening these days in local television news I’m reminded of how many of the “leaders” at stations are more like Capt. Renault than Rick or Lazlo. It seems that whenever there is an opening for a job that could make a difference, the GMs and group executives reach out to the “usual suspects”. Nobody gets upset, nobody gets too excited or takes much risk, but nothing really changes, either.

With this week’s news of massive layoffs at CBS stations, and recent cuts at many other stations, you wonder why bold leadership is in such short supply. The consequences of these latest cost saving moves will declare themselves in the months and years ahead. The already diminishing audience for local TV news will shrink even more. Unlike industrial layoffs where fewer assembly line workers mean fewer cars produced, TV stations slash these jobs and keep on programming the same—sometimes more—amount of content. Inevitably, the quality diminishes and the diminishing quality means fewer viewers: the ultimate lose-lose situation.

If you doubt the truth of these assertions do a little analysis of the last ten years in local TV news. The mantra of the late 80s and early 90s was “do more with less”. Then it became, “do even more with even less”. As more got done with fewer people, the audience eroded, fragmented, and went elsewhere for content. On top of all of these cuts, many of the “usual suspects” failed to recognize the power of the emerging juggernaut known as the “web”. Oh, they finally came around but not before real innovators created better websites and ways of distributing content.

If you doubt that quality still sells, look at the number one market in country. WABC continues to work at producing an outstanding product, by keeping good people in important jobs. For these efforts, Channel 7 Eyewitness News is rewarded with good ratings and viewer loyalty. This doesn’t happen simply by throwing money at the news department. It requires good people who know their jobs and understand the audience. But this scenario is increasingly unusual. And as good as WABC is, it is a traditional newscast much like what stations have been airing—with obvious updating in style—since the 1970s.

So we are now at a critical point in the evolution of television news. With a bad economy the imperative to become more creative is categorically critical. We have to use the technologies of today to touch viewers with stories that matter in ways they can access easily and enjoyably. Dare to be different but tell stories that matter. Try new approaches but remember the foundation of good story telling, meaningful content. As a producer at NHK, Japan’s national network, told me a few years ago, “see like an eagle, taking in the big picture, but also see like an ant, taking in the small details that make the big picture meaningful and interesting”.

And when you are looking to create don’t only seek out the usual suspects. They may be predictable, even safe, but the unusual suspects can help us all see in new ways.