Left to right: Wolf Blitzer, Chelsea Daubar and Joshua Napier on the Plant Hall verandah
Late Friday afternoon I got an email titled “Wolf Blitzer.” UT Director of Public Information Eric Cardenas wrote me that CNN’s lead political anchor would be hosting his show The Situation Room Saturday from the Plant Hall verandah. Cardenas said that if I wanted to interview him, to just stop by before the show. Blitzer has been reporting for CNN since the year I was born, and has had an illustrious career in both broadcast and books. Meeting and interviewing a former White House Correspondent and one of the biggest names in news would be the most exciting, and according to my friends, simultaneously nerdy moments of a journalism major’s life.
When Chelsea, our Managing Editor and I got to the set the next night Blitzer was getting powdered up by a makeup artist and going through the script, skimming over the different news blocks and interviews he had scheduled that night. His producers were sitting on the floor typing out notes with their laptops, and the camera crew was setting up across the street while answering onlooker questions.
I introduced myself and was immediately surprised by how willing Blitzer was to speak with us. We didn’t focus much on the interview questions I had planned, but rather just talked. He told me that he’s concerned about Hurricane Isaac, he hopes that the demonstrators will be peaceful and touched on the fact that the major networks won’t be broadcasting the first day of the RNC.
He then told Chelsea and I to stick around after the show to talk more, returning back to his chair across from the cameras. As seamlessly as he spoke with us, Blitzer began his news hour. He interviewed retired astronaut Mark Kelly about the recent death of Neil Armstrong, weather experts about Hurricane Isaac and political advisors about their opinions.
In between a commercial break he yelled to us, “You guys should be watching the show, not watching me!”
After the show finished he got up and came right over to us. He asked us about our majors, where we were from and what we wanted to do after college. Blitzer then gave us advice that is far too often considered redundant.
“How do athletes get to be the best? They practice.”
He reminded me that if I keep up with it it’ll be me one day sitting across from the cameras with my own show. I just have to practice, just like everything else.
Joshua Napier can be reached at joshua.napier@theminaretonline.com
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