Dear Reader,
You’ve become accustomed to reading the words of MLive.com’s journalists. But you haven’t really heard our voices.
That changes this week, with the introduction of a podcast called MLive Behind the Headlines. Each week, host Eric Hultgren and I will interview one or more of the journalists who are working on the most impactful and interesting stories happening in Michigan.
You can listen to this week’s podcast via the embedded player below (click here if the player doesn't appear for you) or by searching “MLive Behind the Headlines” wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Our inaugural episode fittingly features Emily Lawler, MLive’s lead political reporter in Lansing. She’s covered state politics for almost a decade, so she’s seen a lot. But nothing could have prepared her for her current duties overseeing a five-person coronavirus breaking news team.
“This has essentially been a breaking news event that is THE most important thing in the state for two months now,” she relates in the podcast. “In terms of both the importance and how sustained this is, I think it is completely unique to anything I’ve covered.
“There is a ton of news coming every day. I try to plan for what we’re going to cover each day, and I think by noon that plan has never not been out the window. Keeping on top of it is difficult.”
Lawler’s experience and deep knowledge of Michigan politics – both the topics, and about the gears of government – come through in our discussion. She gives insights into the pressures on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the political calculus from both sides of the aisle, and the tug-of-war between public health and the demands for reopening society.
She also has some predictions about what might come to pass when the stay-at-home order expires on May 28 (a liquid wager is placed on that in the podcast), as well as a recounting of all of the public policy issues that have been put on hold – but will not go away – during the coronavirus pandemic.
But my aim is to give you more than the journalistic insights, which emerge naturally in the stories, photos and videos MLive produces across many platforms.
I want you to meet our people, and hear the thought and passion behind the work they do – striving for context, finding and balancing competing viewpoints, and talking about the decisions they make in doing journalism.
Lawler expresses her views on “human limitations” during the podcast, and I think it gives you a relatable personal view of one of MLive’s journalists. That’s another important objective behind this podcast.
I want you to see them as people like you, people whose lives have been altered in every way. You will see some of your daily life in Lawler’s interview this week, as she discusses the challenges and frustrations the coronavirus has presented for her as a person. (Caution: A spider makes an appearance in the podcast!)
“I’m really missing my office and my colleagues and my normal team. … I miss being able to talk with people,” she said. “I’ve noticed that sources I’ve covered for several years, they seem starved for attention, too. I call, and it’s a half hour when I only have time for five minutes.”
Think of Behind the Headlines in a similar way – a conversation once a week with a familiar friend. And bonus: It won’t take a half hour. I look forward to you getting to know us all better.
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