Steve MacDonald Leaves KTUU-TV
Watching news anchors and news directors on their TV news segments gives one less of an idea about how they think, than when they appear on panels, or on somebody else's program. A good listen to Steve MacDonald is last Friday's chapter of Anchorage KAKM-TV's public broadcasting show, Anchorage Edition. Comparing MacDonald's comments and observations to those of Paul Jenkins, for instance, leaves me with a feeling of MacDonald's humanity.I watched MacDonald interview people like Diane Benson over the past four years. I appreciated that he fully treated her as a viable contender, in both the 2006 and 2008 races, something the Democratic Party was less willing to do.Here's my favorite picture of McDonald that I have taken. He was quipping back and forth with Diane Benson in September 2007, as she addressed an envelope containing an ethics complaint against U.S. Congressman, Don Young:
17 comments:
While everyone seems to be heaping a lot of praise on Steve, there is one thing I'll always remember about him.
During the 2008 Primary elections, Steve moderated debates between each parties contenders.
During the Democratic debate, he had the temerity to ask the candidates if they had ever or currently smoked marijuana.
But he sure didn't ask that question of the Republicans.
Just enough to plant something in people's brains, without actually saying he was a Republican. Channel 2 has always been a tool of the Alaska GOP, and Steve was part of that.
As much as I saw the KTUU team being at the top of the TV news game in Anchorage, I could never for the life of me figure out why Steve McDonald was allowed to present the news. I have watched hundreds of his newscasts, and not ONCE have I ever seen him make it through the first five minutes without screwing up the script. Wether it is for lack of preparation, or something physical he struggles to overcome (such as that Canuck accent he tries too hard to hide), he simply cannot read the news in front of a camera. So how in the hell did he get that job? It was like watching Ted Baxter read the news on the old Mary Tyler Moore show, only that was intentional comedy, while this was simply aggravating. I have no problem with his work as a television journalist, but will not miss his nightly butchering of the news.
Interesting comments.
Back in November I sent an email to KTUU expressing my concern that Steve McDonald and his station may be biased. Steve responded immediately. I followed up and indicated I was concerned that KTUU staff seemed to be moving into jobs at the Palin Administration.
I won't share my communications with Steve McDonald, but I will say he was very responsive and reasonable. He obviously didn't feel it was helpful to KTUU for McCallister to quickly move into a Palin administration job, but he couldn't control the career moves of KTUU employees to other jobs. He was acutely aware of the negative impact to the public's perception that McCallister's move had on KTUU.
Steve offered to follow up and talk with me more about my concerns if I wished. I didn't need to because his feedback had already been sufficient. He was very generous, ethical, and transparent. I'd guess his personal political views may be a bit to the right of mine, but I don't care. I think the loss of Mr. McDonald from KTUU is a blow to our community.
Comparing Steve McDonald to Pat Dougherty is like comparing day to night-- if you complained to Dougherty he'd just tell you to go to hell and threaten to block your email if you contact him again.
Why is it that bad is more durable than good?
Phil - Suggestion: Take a pic of those boots to Nordstrom's shoe department. One of the sales reps can tell you.
Sorry I'm not more help, I haven't bought new shoes in years, and they were Merrells Shiver mocks. NOTHING like those boots. :-)
To Great Grey,
That was Jason Moore, not Steve MacDonald.
One Anonymous speaking to another, thanks for your information to Great Grey.
Jason Moore is the male version of Megan Stapleton-- I wonder when he will also join the Palin administration.
I've worked with 'em all; from Flintoff, Heimel, Kenyon, and Donaldson, to Tracey, Downey, Vrees, McBride, Richarson, Clark, Bob King and many, many more.
These are all fine people and journalists in their own right, and I'd rank Steve McDonald right up there with them.
Yes, he butchered his scripts a lot, perhaps anchoring wasn't his strongest point.
But he didn't throw things at people like Jonathan White, or swear at and belittle people like Mark Gillespie, and he wasn't more worried about his hair than his scripts like Meg Baldno.
He's just a fair, decent guy who was always a pleasure to work with.
If you've ever worked in a real newsroom and understand the pressure that they operate under, you'd better understand just what a loss he will be to Channel 2.
Something tells me there's a lot more to this story.
Ms Lucas has her own questionable past. According to her resume she "resigned abruptly" from a TV station in Nevada, no reason given.
And no he's not from Canada, he's from Ohio.
These continue to be interesting comments. Uh, the shoe thread is downstairs, though.
Yeah, sorry I didn't jump Great Grey for blaming McDonald for what Moore did during the 2008 candidate debates. I should have, as PA covered 'em and I was there.
I ran two news operations - briefly and a long, long time ago - KRAB radio in Seattle and KLAM AM in Cordova. I've been interviewed mostly by print and radio people about my art or activities with other artists. But I've never worked in Anchorage news media, except for a one-show sub stint at KUDO.
One of my best Alaska stories involves my friends, Bob Henrich, Butch Johnson, the late Wally Raber and me, in a fight over a news story I did for KLAM. I'll save it for the book.
As I said, McDonald is genuine, and isn't full of himself. I hope he finds another gig here. tough time to be looking.
With Steve, Aaron and Shannyn we could start on helluva a kick-BUTT media outlet. Might be time to give Jeremy Lansman another call...
No kidding, Phil. Where IS Shannyn anyway? She hasn't posted anything on her blog since December.
Blue_in_AK
Shannyn is in Unalaska, the Aleutians and the Bering Sea, doing some media work. She should be back soon.
It was Jason, not Steve?
My bad, apologies to Steve.
I still think KTUU is a GOP tool.
Great Grey -
I know Al Bramstad personally, your remarks are simply not true.
On the other hand, the KTUU programming director, Nancy Johnston, is married Craig Johnston, former Chief of Staff to Jerry Ward.
But that relationship, in no way whatsoever, transferred over to the newsroom.
"With Steve, Aaron and Shannyn we could start on helluva a kick-BUTT media outlet. Might be time to give Jeremy Lansman another call."
i have been thinking lately it would also be cool to put together a high quality book, maybe twice or three times a year for awhile and gather together all the best writing and photography we can. as long as all these high powered media people are being idled lately, and so many stories to tell, so much turmoil and trauma lately... seems like a natural. it's pretty easy to self-publish books these days.
Jason Moore a tool for the GOP? Does anyone remember that he left KTUU to work for a Dem Governor candidate?
I have many friends at KTUU. If you think they are GOP leaning, you are making assumptions that are simply untrue.
The liberal media..the tool of GOP...we act as though the actions of many individuals are being dictated by a single entity. There is no "they" - haven't we figured it out yet?
FYI... Steve did grow up in Ohio. His Canadian accent came from his mother, who was from Canada.
Ditto that Steve is a real gentleman. Wonderful human being. He'll land on his capable feet. Good people always do.
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