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Editing Norman Lockman
Commentary by Greg Smith
OK, I'm braced for impact. I'm ready for everyone to "go upside my head."
See, I need to do something unpopular. I'm ready for the backlash. It’s the kind of action you only dare take in an emergency. And you just hope people listen to the words before reacting with immediate anger. Yeah, I'm brave (or crazy).
OK, here goes...
I need to edit Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Norman Lockman's final paragraph.
I know. That's like saying "I need to tweak the Gettysburg Address," or "I need to add another splash of red to a Picasso."
Norman Lockman, a longtime newspaper reporter, editor and columnist for The Boston Globe and The News Journal in Delaware died Monday at age 66. He was a pioneer. Early in his career, he was not given a chance to work as a newspaper reporter because he was black. He had been living with Lou Gehrig's disease for several years. When he retired from writing his column in November, his final statement was poetic and profound:
"Good journalism cannot be done by phone," he wrote. "It requires being able to scurry around, seeing, tasting and smelling the things you write about from as close as possible without getting mixed up in the story. My chronic illness makes that hard to do, so I'm going to hang up my slouch hat and turn in my press card while I can still bring this old career of mine in for a nice smooth landing."
I understand why Mr. Lockman felt the way he did. Making a dramatic change in the way he performed his work perhaps was not an assignment he wanted to accept late in his career. I have infinite respect and admiration for the way Mr. Lockman reported. However, I also have infinite respect for all of the talented, experienced and aspiring journalists with disabilities who might allow that warm, genuine statement to comfort them as a nice protective blanket wrapped around their career aspirations.
I need to say it: Good journalism can be done by phone. It can be done by e-mail. It can be done from a wheelchair. It can be done through a respirator. Good journalism can be done by anyone with good communications skills who is reporting from an interesting perspective. I've been doing "good journalism" from my power wheelchair for more than 20 years. And I can't even hold the phone up to my ear without leverage. I have had muscular dystrophy my entire life.
As a journalist, my beat hasn't included riding along with squad cars or crawling embedded with troops half a world away. But my beat is just as fascinating. I've covered life, from the perspective of those who represent our nation's largest minority group...Americans with disabilities. I've reported lessons we can all learn from people who have elevated the traits of creativity, optimism, determination and inner strength to new levels of human potential.
While on the job, I have enjoyed the view from a ski lift above snow-covered pines before "sit-skiing" down a mountainside. I've touched the bottom of the Caribbean while scuba diving. I've blocked inaccessible Greyhound buses with my wheelchair. I've interviewed prisoners who have committed no crimes and yet remain locked in nursing homes against their will. I've covered Super Bowls, traveled internationally, been profiled in a PBS documentary, and authored a book. I've done all this using my wheelchair, or the arms and legs of friends and associates as my chosen methods of scurrying around.
Mr. Lockman was a past member of the National Association of Black Journalists. As a fellow member, I read of his passing on the NABJ Web site, while surfing to register for the annual conference. Journalists with disabilities have no professional organization, probably because so few of us have jobs. Nonetheless, more than 150 talented journalists with disabilities belong to an Internet discussion group called "Mediatalk." We share observations about the media's coverage of disability and offer resources and encouragement to each other in hopes that one day, our perspectives will be properly presented to the world through mass media. Our rapport is intimate, because like Mr. Lockman, we are pioneers.
African Americans have advanced during the span of Mr. Lockman's career to a point where the American Dream is accessible. That wouldn't be the case without black journalists covering the beat, exposing injustices, shining light into dark crevices of human behavior, and creating awareness about positive role models. Journalists with disabilities have the same crucial role to offer and we stand (or sit) waiting for our opportunity to do so.
When I interviewed Senator Ted Kennedy, he held the microphone because I didn't have the physical strength to lift it to his mouth. What I reported was the fact that he wasn't uncomfortable or hesitant in the slightest about that. When I interviewed Rev. Jesse Jackson, he expressed difficulty seeing the comparison between the civil rights struggle and the disability rights struggle. When I reviewed the movie "Toy Story 2" for public radio, I exposed the film's underlying prejudice against "disabled" toys, who really represented people. It didn't win a Pulitzer, but it did win a National Public Radio News Directors Association honor. And when I interviewed the late disability rights leader Justin Dart, he inspired me to get into politics as if my life depends on it, he said. "Because it does."
I have so much more to explore and to report. But for now, I'll bring this column in for a rough landing by editing the copy of two great communicators:
Norman Lockman: "FOR ME, good journalism can't be done by phone..."
and...
Justin Dart: "Get into politics AND MEDIA as if your life depends on it because it does."
Learning from the '85 Bears
Twenty years ago, Tyrone Keys was a towering defensive lineman on one of the greatest football teams ever assembled: the 1985 Chicago Bears, a team that dominated opponents on their way to a 46-10 Super Bowl XX victory over the New England Patriots. The '85 Bears won their first 12 games of season en route to posting 15-1 regular season mark, tying the most regular season wins by a team in NFL history. For the past 12 years, Tyrone has been the founder and executive director of All Sports Community Service, Inc., a nonprofit that has given more than $16 million to more than 600 first generation college-bound students and student athletes for tuition or the pursuit of other career options with the assistance of mentors. Did Tyrone's association with legendary winners like Walter Payton and Mike Ditka have a lasting impact that led to his success off the field? What does Tyrone Keys have to say about learning from other winners?
Free! Living with Disabilities DVD
More than 50 people took advantage of our offer last week. The Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities, through Mississippi Film Video Alliance, is pleased to present a DVD entitled, “Living with Disabilities.” Produced by Scott Dixon McDowell, the DVD features best or positive practices in the field of developmental disabilities. Approximately 30 Mississippians are featured in 15-minute segments focusing on community recreation, community employment, community living, self-determination and self-advocacy, person-centered planning and about the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities. To order your free DVD now, and browse through other Strength Coach products, visit the What's For You page.
Get the first copies of Greg's new book!
"On A Roll: Reflections from America's Wheelchair Dude with the Winning Attitude" is at the printer right now. The first books will be available in early May. The first 100 orders will come with a personal note and signature from Greg. Pre-order your copy today!
Get your "On A Roll" DVD!
You'll love this documentary film, which aired on PBS in February. The DVD includes special features: a commentary by Filmmaker Joanne Caputo and Consulting Director Michael Ivey, "Greg's Crib," Accessible Sex Toys, Becky Ogle's Crawl, Jim's Civil Rights, Searching for Michael Moore, Terri's Update, Crawfish, Scuba Dive, and more!
Reviews
"Highly Worthwhile and Inspiring" New York Times
"An All-Access Look at Life" St. Petersburg Times
"Best TV portrayal of disability and real life we have ever seen" ADAPT
Order your copy on our secure server now.
Hear Greg Smith's message
Greg Smith has begun writing his second book, "Strengthen America," which teaches us how to harness the powerful combination of personal development and acceptance of cultural differences. It is a mix of self-help and diversity, studied from his life experiences and communicated with passion in his live appearances.
Energize the audience at your upcoming conference or event. Greg's schedule is filling up rapidly! Corporations, universities, meeting planners and speakers bureaus are taking note of his timely message: “Strengthen America!”
To schedule a sensational, inspirational live presentation for your next meeting or event, call "The Strength Coach" at 877-331-7563 or complete this
booking information form.
"While in town..."
Check Greg's schedule to see if he has plans to be in your area. If you would like for him to speak on an adjacent date while in town, he can offer exceptional discounts for keynote addresses or workshops. Call 1-877-331-7563 soon so he can arrange his travel schedule to fit in your group.
Greg's work is supported in part by the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities. Does your state's DD Council support disability media initiatives? Why not? To find out how, call 1-877-331-7563.
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