Jeff Brady joined National Public Radio (NPR) in October of 2003 and now works out of Denver, the capitol of Colorado. Brady covers local and regional news of national interest. Recently, Jeff took the time to answer some questions about what it is like covering the Western United States as a radio reporter for one of the world's premier news organizations.
The Life of an NPR Reporter Out West
PM: Are they any peculiarities to covering Colorado that make it notably different from the East or West coasts?
JB: Most of the differences are cultural and political, in my experience. People in the Rocky Mountain West tend to think more about their independence and how to protect it than folks on the coasts. That affects the politics here and makes covering them much more interesting! For example, Colorado has traditionally been a Republican state. Many of the state’s swing voters who aren’t affiliated with the Republican or the Democratic Parties chose to switch in 2008. But we’re learning now they can be a fickle bunch and it looks like they may be trending back toward the Republican Party in 2010.
PM: How big is your territory and how do you travel throughout it?
JB: I don’t have an assigned territory. But outside of California we have reporters in Seattle, Tucson, Salt Lake City and Austin. I try to keep up with newspapers in Colorado and Wyoming, primarily. But I also track what’s happening in Montana, Idaho, Utah, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.
I travel all over the country for NPR—after Hurricane Katrina I spent a total of three months in Louisiana. If I’m within a few hundred miles, I’ll drive but beyond that it usually makes more sense to fly.
PM: How much time to you spend out in the field as opposed to being at the office writing, editing, and working the telephone?
JB: Typically I’m in the field only one or two days a week. Most of my time is spent in front of a computer gathering information and talking on the telephone. Traveling is expensive, so I want to make sure I’m well-prepared before I head out.
PM: How did you get to where you are now in your career?
JB: I think I got to this point by learning how to listen well—that was one of the most important skills I learned in college. Before I was a reporter, I think I talked a lot more than I listened! But in college you have to be able to hear everything a professor says during a lecture and take good notes. Today those skills help me hear small details in a conversation that could become the key to unlocking a big story. If I don’t listen closely to what someone is saying it’s difficult to ask smart follow-up questions. And that’s how you get to the truth.
PM: What are your goals right now?
JB: I would like to transfer to Washington, D.C. to cover Congress. I think our coverage of lawmakers could benefit from a Westerner’s perspective. But first I have to convince my editors of that!
PM: What aspects of your job really get you up and going and which do find least enjoyable?
JB: Exposing a lie really gets me excited—especially if it’s a lie a powerful person is telling. I like the idea that the truth can sometimes correct what’s wrong in the world.
I don’t like coming back to my office with several hours of tape that I have to whittle down to 3 minutes for a story. The process of doing that is boring. I also don’t like covering crime stories—often I just don’t see the point. I prefer to produce stories about solving problems and people taking control of their own lives.
Jeff Brady on NPR News
Jeff's reports are to-the-point. They are also pleasing to the ear. Wildfires, political issues, terrorism, balloon boys—Jeff Brady handles them all with skill. Listen for Jeff's reporting on your local NPR affiliated station.
Philip McIntosh - The author holds a B.Sc. in Botany and Chemistry and an M.A in Biology and he has thirty + years of experience in science and industry.
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