This isn't the first blog post about the CNN Broadcast of Christian Amanpour's interview of Secretaries Clinton and Gates. It only aired at 3pm this afternoon and I know of at least one blog post on it. I was there, among othe George Washington University students.
I've been at filmings that would be aired on TV before. The most interesting of them, to me, was a taping of Wheel of Fortune. One of my friends, Joe Marlowe, was selected for a casting call that he signed up for online. Needless to say, he got on the show. While I sat and watched Frank Sesno, the director of the SMPA department at GWU, scoop Amanpour on her own broadcast; I am constantly referring back to this experience in my mind.
They argue over Bureaucracy and speculation of the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm bored to tears for the first 15 minutes. The issue of Iraq and Afghanistan has been hashed to obliteration with no avail and speculation is a poor attempt at making news where there is none. I am fixated on the guy sitting in front of me, because my friend pointed him out. He keeps cocking his head drastically to the right and left and holding it "forever."
And all I can think about is how uncomfortable my friend was when he finally got his chance at the wheel. He'd shrug his shoulders and put his hands together while he awkwardly smirked. He spins the wheel and makes some obscure reference to his pet snake.
Secretary Clinton pulls me back halfway in, when I notice she's shoveling up the fallen words of Secretary Gates. I originally assumed she was trying to save him in his stammers, but as the interview went on about strategies and diplomacy in regards to Iraqi terrorist using cell phones to broadcast their actions and maintain a hold on the larger less techno savvy population of Iraq, it seemed as though Secretary Clinton was trying to keep up with the tweeting audience.
I was tweeting about it as it happened and one of my friends, Matthew Lim, was doing the same thing. He even snapped a couple phone pictures. The flash was so loud I was afraid we were going to get kicked out. We weren't allowed any electronic devices, other than our cell phones at the taping. A cell phone is all u need to break a story. Everyone knows that.
That was another thing I noticed throughout the broadcast. It seemed like CNN was in competition with things like Twitter, and text messaging throughout the broadcast. The breaks that they had to take between segments for commercials seemed to get shorter the more flashes and cell phone clicks were heard in the auditorium. At this point I've completely forgotten about Joe and I am interested in what the Secretaries were saying, because they would make quips that they seemed to know would be on twitter or a blog in the following minutes.
Secretary Gates made a reference to his "old CIA days" in response to Sesnos comment about voices in his head from the upper booth. Secretary Clinton made it obvious she wasn't trying to save Secretary Gates in a comment she made towards the end of the taping, "He did a lot of his public service in secret. I have no secrets."
These comments made it obvious that they may not have been thinking as far forward as I mayhave assumed. The media bullpen was in front of the stage. My notes were inconsequential because I wasn't the only one taking them and I didn't have a name.
The last few issues talked about hit me the hardest, specifically because I am a student trying to be more than a citizen journalist. Secretary Gates made a good analogy about, "[the] American toolbox should contain something other than hammers," in response to Sesno's question of retooling diplomacy. Clinton spoke of her media team and how the information policies of legislation are trying to engage the citizenship directly.
"We are back to listening and engaging . . . We have a long way to go."
She talked about how new media diplomacy needs to become a more honest and fluid flow of information from the government to the people as apposed to between government groups.
There were instances of immaturity after the filming was over: a sign that read--Clinton. Where is the 50 million for AIDS and "Hilary I love you." This isn't a congressional hearing. The students immediate thoughts and feelings are not necessary at the end of taping that will air in less than a day. That's why general admission was placed so far back.
And as we walk out a large voice comes over the intercom, "Could you guys please be quiet, while you exit. We have a few cosmetic things to do on stage."
Image from Associated Press.
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