The inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris gives veteran journalists David Mendel and Mike Xirinachs an excuse to travel back to the first presidential ceremonies they ever covered together. But they don’t stay there long, as present-day events demand immediate attention beginning with a tale of two Capitols.
Intentional or not, we have all in some way contributed to America’s racial and ethnic divide. Veteran journalists David Mendel and Mike Xirinachs relate personal accounts of bigotry and racism and reveal their own prejudices as they shed light on ways the nation can embrace diversity and begin to heal.
Is the deadly January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol an indicator of darker days ahead or could it mark the turning point for a nation badly fractured along political, ethnic, social and economic lines? Veteran journalists David Mendel and Mike Xirinachs discuss how the violent rampage by supporters of President Donald Trump played out and try to determine where we collectively go from here.
David kicks off 2021 by introducing us to high school senior Sawyer Pennington, who refuses to let COVID-19 stand in her way as she sets a course for college. Despite the pandemic’s massively disruptive effects on education, Sawyer has charged full steam ahead, engaging in promising interviews with college volleyball coaches and admissions representatives. It has been challenging, and financial assistance will be critical, but she perseveres and has advice on how fellow students can also succeed.
David and Mike look back at a tumultuous year that appears to be ending on a hopeful note, particularly on the coronavirus front, as Americans begin rolling up their sleeves for a much-anticipated vaccine. But does this mean that 2021 will be a year of good tidings? How long before the pandemic is under control? And what about race relations, political divisions and other high-profile issues that exploded in 2020 but remain unresolved? Don’t miss this year’s final episode of “Time Rewind Reporter’s Journal!”
David welcomes social media expert Cristina Schaefer to the podcast for valuable insights into maximizing the use of social media to promote your business, build an audience or establish yourself as an influencer. You’ll learn surprising things about TikTok, other apps and platforms as Cristina covers what you need to know about those ever-changing algorithms that can have you earning dozens of likes and follows one day, and leave you hearing crickets the next. Plus, she discusses how to protect our kids from social media dangers.
After being a poster child for COVID-19 prevention all year long – wearing a mask, social distancing, washing his hands and taking additional precautions – David suddenly tests positive for the virus. The ultimate nightmare. Mike develops symptoms that he thinks might be related to coronavirus, but finds it virtually impossible to access testing. It’s COVID Confessions in this edition of “Time Rewind Reporter’s Journal.”
After months of marveling at her evolving work online, David welcomes Pittsburgh-based photographer Alicia Swingle to the podcast to talk about how she came to specialize in the boudoir genre. Alicia is not only gifted behind the camera, celebrating the human form in all her subjects, but in front of it as well, with self-portraits that are sultry and seductive. Alicia emphasizes body positivity, empowerment and self-esteem in all her work, and invites men to be as much a part of this genre as women.
Alicia Swingle Photography on Instagram
Alicia Swingle Photography on Facebook
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The past meets the future at Ball High School (BHS) in Galveston, Texas. Find out how the Time Rewind day-in-history radio feature that inspired this podcast became an education sensation, with students learning about the past while developing research, editing and communication skills converting it for use in the daily announcements. This successful collaboration continues to spread to other classrooms across the country. David welcomes BHS Media Arts Coach Mike Dudas and student anchor Mia Cardenas.
Ball High School YouTube Channel
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David welcomes fellow Boston University alum Nick Mills, who worked with David in the busy WEEI newsroom in Boston. Nick discusses his lifetime commitment to journalism, beginning with his service in the Peace Corps and as a U.S. Army combat photographer in Vietnam before becoming a recognizable voice on Boston radio and ABC Radio. Nick returned to BU as an associate professor in the College of Communication for more than 25 years, and he has traveled the world to establish news-gathering operations and train aspiring journalists and broadcasters. Nick is also an author and blogger:
The American Experience in Vietnam -- Reflections on an Era
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Danger lurks behind many assignments as reporters are dispatched to cover breaking news. In this episode, Mike shares his experience amid exploding trees, a pair of would-be robbers, exposure to asbestos, a ravaging case of poison ivy and what appears to be an angry mob. His wife, Nancie Xirinachs, joins us to describe what it’s like to be married to a big-city reporter.
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David welcomes longtime friend and colleague George Kovacik to reminisce high-pressure newsroom conditions that eventually convinced them to reevaluate news careers and move into public relations. They explain how, after once being the ones gathering and reporting the news, they each now provide information and experts to the media.
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In this episode, we welcome Michael Mendel, the creative force behind three decades of record album art for musicians like Gladys Knight & the Pips, Tony Bennett, Tammy Wynette, Curtis Mayfield, Donovan, David Cassidy, The Stylistics, The New York Philharmonic and many more. Michael reveals what went into designing album covers in the pre-digital era, including photo shoots and logistics you probably couldn’t get away with today. Plus, you’ll never guess who posed for some of his later covers.
Check out a sampling of Michael Mendel’s more than 2,000 album covers on Discogs.
Read more about his work HERE.
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In the wee hours of every morning, story ideas are born in newsrooms across the country and around the world. These often require reporters to interview people that are out and about before most businesses are even open. David and Mike discuss crossing paths with a prostitute, bully and others while conducting the traditional "Man-on-the-Street" (MOS) assignment.
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Mike reveals his knack for entering restaurants for a meal and leaving with juicy news stories, including a cheating scandal that rocked the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and an active swingers scene on Long Island, New York. David shares his experience making tough and sometimes unpopular decisions about assignments as a news manager.
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Two years after covering the 9/11 attack in New York, Mike travels into the heart of war-torn Iraq, embedded with a humanitarian aid team. Amid the sound of gunfire day and night, he learns some surprising and amazing things about the Iraqi people and the U.S. troops serving in and around Baghdad. He even scores a souvenir of Saddam Hussein.
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What happens when a reporter unwittingly becomes part of the very story he is covering? Mike faced this situation on multiple occasions and was even threatened with jail time. In this episode, he tells us how it all played out and what it feels like when the spotlight suddenly shines on the reporter.
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Former radio reporter Robert Hurst joins David and Mike to share gripping accounts of how he covered two disasters that drew global attention, propelled his broadcast career and garnered awards. The 1987 Comfort, Texas flood trapped a school bus full of church campers, claiming 10 young lives as others sought refuge in trees, and the 1989 Phillips Petroleum plant explosion and fire outside Houston left 23 workers dead and more than 300 injured. Robert reveals how he gained access to the story scenes before other media did.
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