Investing in Passion: A Journalists Path to Success with M. Kienan Briscoe
Welcome to EWM INSIGHTS where we celebrate on HUMAN CAPITAL!
In this episode of insights, M. Kienan Briscoe shares his journey from New York to Seattle, and aspiring author to Senior Reporter at the Lynwood Times. Kienan discusses the pivotal moments that led him to pursue a career in journalism, emphasizing the significance of curiosity and the importance of uncovering truths within the community. He further articulates the responsibilities that come with journalism, emphasizing that it is not merely about reporting news but about providing citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions.
Kienan reflects on the challenges faced by modern journalists, including the competition for attention in a fast-paced digital environment and the need for ethical rigor in reporting. This conversation serves as a poignant reminder of the value of journalism in safeguarding society and the constant pursuit of truth.
M. Kienan Briscoe
Education:
Arizona State University
Contact:
Kenan Brisco
https://lynwoodtimes.com/author/kenan-brisco/
Twitter/X: @mkienanbriscoe6
Blog/website: https://mkienanbriscoecom.wordpress.com/
Amazon link to books: Satori and Sorrow , Emerald City Blues , The Magnum Opera
M. Kienan Briscoe's newest book entitled "Eternity is a Shattered Coffee Cup" , is expected to be out by the end of the year.
Feel free to share this episode with those in your circle who are on a similar path of learning.
We hope our conversations will help you acquire more knowledge, become even more curious about the gifts that are in and all around us, while supporting you to reach new heights as we grow together.
You can subscribe and listen to EWM INSIGHTS on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or the Ellis Wealth Management Homepage: https://elliswealthmanagement.net/podcasts/
Above all, through EWM INSIGHTS we want to encourage you to:
INVEST IN WHAT YOU LOVE!®
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Links referenced in this episode:
- lynwoodtimes.com
- amazon.com
- Lynwood Times https://lynwoodtimes.com/
- Arizona State University https://www.asu.edu/
Transcript
Welcome to Insights.
Speaker A:This is Paul Ellis, managing director of Ellis Wealth Management, where we encourage you to invest in what you love.
Speaker A:Ellis Wealth Management is an independent financial services firm focused on planning, advice, coaching and investment management.
Speaker A:We are dedicated to the families we serve and we encourage you to invest in what you love.
Speaker A:Within Insights, we look at ways to make our world richer through focusing on sharing and developing human capital.
Speaker A:Well, all right.
Speaker A:What a great, great day.
Speaker A:It is the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Speaker A:It is a beautiful day and I am so proud and so happy to have with us today a gentleman who has, well, we met a couple of years ago and his path has made an impact on the Pacific Northwest.
Speaker A:We're talking with Keenan Briscoe.
Speaker A:He is a senior reporter for the Lynwood Times and he and I met a couple of years ago and we've been trying to get him on the calendar and we were able to make it happen.
Speaker A:So without further ado, Keenan, how are you, my friend?
Speaker B:I'm doing great, Paul.
Speaker B:Thanks for having me.
Speaker A:My pleasure.
Speaker A:I am so pleased that we are able to make time.
Speaker A:We've been trying to get on the calendar for some time.
Speaker A:You are a senior reporter with the Linwood Times, a very, very well respected newspaper in the area and has won, you've won multiple awards with the newspaper.
Speaker A:Your journalism is terrific and spot on.
Speaker A:Your investigative work really uncovers amazing stories.
Speaker A:Thank you for being here today.
Speaker A:I want you to share with us a little bit about what you do, what influenced you to get into the field, and we'll just take it from there.
Speaker A:So Keenan, tell us a little bit about what you do as a senior reporter for the Lynwood Times.
Speaker B:Yeah, well, first, I do apologize that it took so long to get on the calendar as you mentioned.
Speaker B:You know, I've been, it's been a busy couple of years.
Speaker B:Let's just leave it at that.
Speaker B:As senior reporter for the Lynwood Times, just a little bit about our publication.
Speaker B:So our namesake is Lynwood, obviously, but we cover stories all over Snohomish county and even dip our toes into some state and federal national coverage as well.
Speaker B:So long ultimately cycles back to Washingtonians and how it impacts them and or is historically relevant in some way.
Speaker B:So what I do as senior reporter is it stretches beyond general news, although I do a lot of that.
Speaker B:I maintain a website to SEO standard.
Speaker B:I manage for social media accounts and even delegate story assignments to reporting staff if needed, much like an editorial position would, but doing a lot of general news coverage as well.
Speaker B:We have a small staff, small Newsroom, so definitely keeps me busy.
Speaker A:So share with me what influenced you to get into this field?
Speaker B:Well, I've always been an avid reader, and I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household that was extremely artistic.
Speaker B:My mother was a fantastic painter and so was my uncle.
Speaker B:And so I was really blessed to grow up under the arts and kind of wanted to take the arts into under my wing, if you will.
Speaker B:And so my passion became writing, and it's always been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, to be a writer.
Speaker B:When most kids in grade school were talking about becoming an astronaut or a fireman, I was saying I wanted to become a book author.
Speaker B:And I do author books.
Speaker B:I have.
Speaker B:I have about three published novels currently, and I'm gearing up to complete my fourth this year.
Speaker B:But, you know, the reality is these books just aren't making money.
Speaker B:They don't sell a lot.
Speaker B:And that's fine.
Speaker B:I do it primarily for me and it's what I love to do, but, you know, it wasn't paying the bills.
Speaker B:So I started looking into writing based fields and that led me into the realm of journalism.
Speaker B:And, you know, despite having a love for writing and being ultimately driven to the field as a way to essentially get paid to practice this craft, I really do believe that journalism is an ever increasing significant profession.
Speaker B:So in many ways, we're the gatekeepers of a functional democracy.
Speaker B:At risk of sounding pretentious because we hold elected officials accountable, we lead investigations into shady business, uncover wrongdoings, but most of all, we're educators, we educate the public.
Speaker B:And, you know, there are in many ways, historians, archivists, journalists are.
Speaker B:And you know, if you wanted to pinpoint what was happening on any given date, you go to a library and you pick up an archived copy of a preserved newspaper.
Speaker B:So that paired with the idea of constantly learning new skills and information, challenging and stimulating my mind, thinking critically, and engaging with my community through enlightenment and discourse, I think were ultimately the driving factors.
Speaker A:So you've written three or four books, is that correct?
Speaker B:That is correct, yeah.
Speaker B:My first novel is called Satori and Sorrow.
Speaker B:My second is the Magnum Opera.
Speaker B:And then the third is Emerald City Blues, which is a.
Speaker B:Is a collection of short stories that all take place in or around Seattle.
Speaker A:I can understand the Emerald City Blues during the winter months.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker B:Yeah, right.
Speaker A:But it's a collection of short stories.
Speaker A:Really.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, I actually writ.
Speaker B:Excuse me, I wrote that collection of short stories during COVID That's how I kept fame.
Speaker B:During COVID I thought the short story medium, it was just easier kind of pick up and put down avenue to.
Speaker B:Instead of, you know, the marathon that is a novel writing, I wanted to do something that was going to be just as well, not, not 100% relaxing, but not going to drive me crazy like a novel does.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:The short story format was less hair ripping inducing.
Speaker A:Well, we're going to have to get the footnotes where people can order those books.
Speaker A:Are they available on Amazon?
Speaker B:They're available on Amazon.
Speaker B:My first book is also available in Barnes and Noble.
Speaker A:In Barnes and Noble.
Speaker A:Okay, great.
Speaker A:We're gonna make sure that that's in the show notes that people can link to the books that you've written.
Speaker A:Well, let me ask you this question.
Speaker A:How and when did you know?
Speaker A:I mean, you're sitting there at.
Speaker A:From.
Speaker A:In my mind, you're sitting there in grade school and there's kids drawing pictures of astronauts and there's other pictures, you know, wanting to be maybe a fireman or, you know, you know, something else.
Speaker A:Dr.
Speaker A:Maybe.
Speaker A:And you're sitting at your desk and you're thinking of writing books.
Speaker A:Is that visually.
Speaker A:Visually, along the same lines.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's pretty on par.
Speaker B:And I always loved telling stories.
Speaker B:Again, I was an avid reader.
Speaker B:And what gave me the idea was we had in.
Speaker B:In.
Speaker B:So in grade school we had, if I remember correctly, this is several years ago, we had vocabulary assignments where, you know, we would have like a set of vocabulary words every week or whatever it was.
Speaker B:And then we had to use them in a sentence, like a paragraph, just to make sure that we understood them contextually.
Speaker B: And I would hand in like: Speaker B:And my.
Speaker B:My teachers were like, whoa, you need to be a writer.
Speaker B:And I think that's what gave me the idea.
Speaker B:But I pursued a lot of the arts.
Speaker B:I used to play in bands over the years.
Speaker B:I'm a guitarist and I was in a fairly successful band back in the day.
Speaker B:And I pursued acting as well.
Speaker B:I was an off Broadway actor in New York City.
Speaker B:And while I was living in New York, I was trying to make it in the literary world because that's where you go if you want to make it as an author.
Speaker B:But I couldn't quite cut it.
Speaker B:So instead I found myself making coffee.
Speaker B:And you know, I never.
Speaker B:I never saw myself sticking with coffee long term.
Speaker B:Did take my job very seriously.
Speaker B: s even named Risa champion in: Speaker B:I think it was.
Speaker B:But, you know, despite having some sort of relative success in the coffee world, if you could call it that, I couldn't quite shake the feeling that every hour that I poured into it, I could be pouring into my craft of writing, that is, and perfecting that.
Speaker B:And that left me feeling grossly unsatisfied.
Speaker B:So I can tell you the precise moment I knew I was riding the subway home from working three jobs because New York City is famously expensive.
Speaker B:Got a second job working as an electrical engineer's assistant, and a third, well, I mentioned I was an off roadway actor.
Speaker B:So I was riding the train home after we just performed at a theater down in Nolita.
Speaker B:And I would go home, I would write my novels, my books, my short stories, and I'd sleep maybe one, two hours a night, but I was so tired that I feel like I wasn't really making the most out of the energy that I was putting into what I truly wanted to do in life.
Speaker B:And I felt like it was drastically disproportionate.
Speaker B:So I made a promise to myself right then and there that I would quit these jobs and I would never accept another job in my life that didn't focus on writing.
Speaker B:So then, at the very least, I could support myself while practicing what I truly wanted to do in life.
Speaker B:So I started my professional writing career as a freelance writer and journalist in the New York City area.
Speaker B:I had some contracts here and there, but I ultimately decided to relocate to Seattle, where my family was, break into a less competitive market and stretch my dollars for a better quality of life.
Speaker A:You know, that's amazing.
Speaker A:It's a real key to moving forward.
Speaker A:You made a contract to yourself, a promise to yourself, and you said, I will not do anything that veers from this.
Speaker A:Do I have that correctly?
Speaker B:That's correct.
Speaker A:That is amazing.
Speaker A:How old, how old were you at that particular time, may I ask?
Speaker B:So I was probably mid-20s, 25.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:Someone once said, you write a contract to yourself and do not break it.
Speaker A:And many times we'll obviously keep our promises to other people, but somehow or other we feel it's okay to break that contract or that promise to ourself.
Speaker A:And you found that to be a very pivotal point in your life, is that correct?
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:I believe that life is short and we should be doing the things that we feel a calling to do.
Speaker B:And to me, that was writing and I just, yeah, decided to go for it.
Speaker A:So you turn in your.
Speaker A:Your barista apron, you give back the script to the off Broadway plays, and you buy A ticket and get on a plane back across the country to Seattle, also famous for coffee and the.
Speaker A:And let's pick up there.
Speaker A:You, you land back in Seattle, families here, and you've decided that journalism is your path and, and you're moving forward.
Speaker A:What are you doing next?
Speaker B:Well, one thing I noticed when I was trying to break into the literary scene and then the, you know, journalism, freelance writer scene in New York is that, you know, obviously the New York market is different than the Seattle market in that you have nearly 10 million people all competing for jobs and writing careers are famously competitive.
Speaker B:But what I noticed is that people with the most credentials tended.
Speaker B:Tended to get the most contracts.
Speaker B:So I decided to go back to college.
Speaker B:That was my first step.
Speaker B:I studied philosophy right out of high school, which is far from lucrative to say the least.
Speaker B:And that's, you know, probably one of the drivers that lend me to working in coffee shops.
Speaker B:But I wanted to not only get to upper hand on my competition in terms of, you know, getting jobs, but I just honestly wanted to learn the skill sets I wanted to officially go to school for.
Speaker B:Journalism I did at Arizona State University.
Speaker B:And while I worked there, I worked as an editor for the school newspaper to start building up my experience in portfolio.
Speaker B:And then shortly after that, I dove into the freelance reporting scene in the Seattle area, shooting out pitches to nearly every newspaper from Bellingham to Olympia.
Speaker B:And, you know, we were talking about that contract, that promise.
Speaker B:Well, I told myself then that I needed to have some sort of, you know, philosophy that I was going to uphold myself to.
Speaker B:And that was to never say no to a job, a writing job, that is, and never miss a deadline.
Speaker B:And I'm happy to say that I lived up to that promise to myself and I think that's ultimately why I kept getting work.
Speaker A:So you're in Seattle and you decide to go back to school.
Speaker A:Most people are.
Speaker A:Well, maybe more people are now.
Speaker A:But how did you decide that you wanted to go to asu?
Speaker A:Arizona State University?
Speaker B:Well, they had a pretty robust online program.
Speaker B:Okay, that was, that was pretty much it.
Speaker B:So I could.
Speaker B:I was living in Seattle while I attended ASU Online.
Speaker A:They have a terrific online program.
Speaker A:It's one of the top online programs in the United States.
Speaker A:And for those that don't know, Arizona State has done a yeoman's job in really revamping their.
Speaker A:That the student experience, connections with families, they're online, and their on campus experience as well.
Speaker A:They are rapidly moving up the leaderboard in competitiveness in some areas.
Speaker A:Competing against mit, Stanford, Excellent school and their online course is really top tier.
Speaker A:They're not a sponsor of the podcast, but I've got some inside scoop on that myself and they're, they're excellent.
Speaker A:So that's how you landed.
Speaker A:That's how you chose Arizona State University.
Speaker A:And then you maintain that philosophy of just saying, I'm not going to say no to a job and I'm not going to miss a deadline.
Speaker A:And you kept going.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you know, I was fairly successful in finding work as a stringer.
Speaker A:What's a stringer?
Speaker B:Yeah, it's, it just means like a freelancer.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:Like a freelance journalist.
Speaker B:So if you look at my muck rack, it's telling, you know, how many publications I was working for during that time.
Speaker B:I have worked, published practically every newspaper in Western Washington, including Seattle Weekly, Stoqualmie Valley Record, Cant Reporter, but most notably probably the Pulitzer Prize nominated Puget Sound Business Journal where I contributed special reports.
Speaker B:And one of my stories was even featured on the front page of their DEI edition a couple years ago, which is pretty, pretty cool.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:The Puget Sound Business Journal is a very well respected paper.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And they're second to the Seattle Times as far as circulation goes in the region.
Speaker B:So in addition to building my freelance business at that time, I wrote campus news for the University of Washington.
Speaker B:I assisted people in writing content for their websites, social media channels for additional income.
Speaker B:And the Limbo Times was among one of the news outlets that I was contributing to, first as a freelancer.
Speaker B:But I was quickly offered a position on staff and I was attracted to the Lynwood Times particularly because I knew that Lynwood was an up and coming city.
Speaker B:It was and still is one of the fastest growing cities in Washington.
Speaker B:This was before the light rail opened up and I knew that was coming and that there was going to be a lot of remodeling around that in terms of infrastructure.
Speaker B:So there was an opportunity there for an audience.
Speaker B:And I really appreciated their commitment to being independently running, which I believe allows for more honest reporting.
Speaker B:And I was, I was really interested in some of the investigative and hard news coverage that they were doing in the past.
Speaker B:So that's how I landed at the Lynwood Times.
Speaker B:And then I just built.
Speaker B:I started as a staff writer and worked my way up to senior reporter.
Speaker A:That is excellent.
Speaker A:And again, the Linwood Times, it is independent and you guys have won numerous awards at the Lynwood Times and it can be hard hitting.
Speaker A:And I believe you do uncovered some stories.
Speaker A:And not every politician or person wants to be Investigated.
Speaker A:But for the citizens to have an independent voice, it, it really is important to, to making sure things are running correctly.
Speaker A:Don't you agree?
Speaker B:Yeah, that's correct.
Speaker B:And you know, I was recently on Brandy Cruise's show Undivided, speaking a little bit about that, how, you know, a lot of the community newspapers in the area, you were covering a lot of what I like to call fluff pieces, feel good pieces, and that's fine too.
Speaker B:And we do that.
Speaker B:You know, there's nothing wrong with, you know, writing a story on the unsung heroes and shining a spotlight on individuals and their accomplishments and individual achievements.
Speaker B:Those are great stories and I love telling those stories.
Speaker B:But, you know, I do also think it's extremely valuable to do some hard news to really, you know, really the dirt, if you will, not, not looking for the dirt.
Speaker B:But if it, if it calls for uprooting, then there needs to be some credible journalists who are willing to do the dirty work.
Speaker A:That makes sense.
Speaker A:I mean, getting to the bottom of the facts so that people can have an understanding of what's going on in their community is essential.
Speaker B:Couldn't agree more.
Speaker A:So what are some of the biggest challenges you faced when you first started, started getting into journalism or starting out?
Speaker B:Well, I think one of the biggest challenges that I was faced is, you know, right out of college is not having a reputation in the region and working for a small paper.
Speaker B:So journalism in journalism, reputation is everything because it can make or break your opportunity to land an interview with an important source.
Speaker B:And a lot of people, I reach out to them and they wouldn't agree to interview and then, you know, the story doesn't go anywhere because without that source, you know, it kind of fell apart.
Speaker B:Another challenge starting out was, of course, those real world obstacles that school could never prepare you for.
Speaker B:Things like standing your ground when you know that you're reporting is true, even though it may not be the truth that everybody wants you into to uncover.
Speaker B:Like we were just talking about.
Speaker B:So things like being bold and brave, tackling important issues because the public deserves to know, regardless of hearing the repercussions.
Speaker B:Over the years, I've gotten death threats, I've been told my reporting is fake news, even though it was later revealed that I was right all along and I never received an apology and I don't feel like I need to, but it's at least validating to find out that my hunch was correct all along.
Speaker B:And that's driven to be, that's driven me to be bolder and more courageous going Forward.
Speaker A:Well, there's a big difference between talent, what they used to call, I guess they're calling in front of TV talent versus real journalism.
Speaker A:The talent is the person who's reading the teleprompter or delivering the information.
Speaker A:The journalist is actually uncovering the information.
Speaker A:And a really good journalist not only uncovers it, but has the ability to share that information in a way that people can also follow along.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:One thing I'll add, if I may is, you know, I've done a lot of reporting, a lot of reporting recently, matter of fact, on elected officials and holding them accountable and just, you know, they're paid for by our tax dollars.
Speaker B:So I feel like the taxpayers should know exactly what they're up to.
Speaker B:And I get some back backlash from that because I think a lot of people think that I'm going after them or, or harassing them and that that's not, that's not the case at all.
Speaker B:It's, it's not that I'm targeting somebody or I have a specific agenda to take them down.
Speaker B:It's that I'm just telling the, the truth and the facts.
Speaker B:And the people deserve to know these facts and make up their own educated decision based off of those.
Speaker A:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker A:I mean, think about, for example, if you're putting, if, if someone's placing a roof on your house, you need a new roof and you're paying that company, that contractor, whoever, to place that roof on, you know, the top of your house.
Speaker A:Especially here in the Pacific Northwest, you want someone who knows what they're doing so that when it's raining, you're not getting rain in your house, water in your house, because it's expensive.
Speaker A:It would be expensive twice.
Speaker A:You wouldn't want someone pretending that they knew how to do roofing work and not being able to deliver the goods.
Speaker A:That's just an example of a roofer, let alone someone who's actually making policies by which you have to live by or your, your tax dollars are going to, it just, it just makes sense.
Speaker A:What the, the challenging thing is is that many politicians want to be talent.
Speaker A:They want to be in front of a screen.
Speaker A:They want to wear a particular outfit and they want to say certain things, but they don't want the accountability that goes with the responsibility of, of that particular job.
Speaker A:And we need people to hold them accountable.
Speaker B:I could have said it better myself, and I think your roof analogy is perfect.
Speaker A:We're living in a time where things are being uncovered and not all of it is fun to find out, but we do need that.
Speaker A:And we want to thank you.
Speaker A:And I'm sure that anytime that you're approaching, you know, people in power, they may not be eager to have an independent journalist ask them questions or to research things.
Speaker A:But again, it's best for the community.
Speaker A:So thank you.
Speaker A:You've got a passion for this.
Speaker A:Obviously you've made life changing decisions that have literally moved you from one coast to the other coast.
Speaker A:So you are definitely passionate about this.
Speaker A:What else are you passionate about as it pertains to your work in journalism?
Speaker B:Well, I mentioned that I have a passion for writing.
Speaker B:Not just journalistic writing, but also writing the novels that I before mentioned.
Speaker B:But as it pertains to journalism, I have a passion for information seeking as well.
Speaker B:I don't think that absolute truth is ever completely attainable.
Speaker B:But that doesn't mean that we should abandon getting as close as we can, right?
Speaker B:That's like most things in life, I believe perfection is an abstract concept.
Speaker B:But striving for it gets us closer and closer.
Speaker B:But through the process we're increasing the bar, raising the bar and with it human capability.
Speaker A:Do you find that people's attention span in reading the material is getting shorter?
Speaker A:Are you finding that people are just gravitating towards the headlines without actually reading and going into the the sources, or are you finding that the readers of, you know, your publication are really not only reading the material but actually are contacting you, giving you more sources, giving you more information?
Speaker A:What spectrum are you finding that people are today in regards to the news?
Speaker B:Well, I think, I think yes and no.
Speaker B:You know, today's reader or viewer of news, their attention spans are definitely shorter.
Speaker B:And it's just of the generation now think TikTok, you know, a minute to two minute long videos.
Speaker B:And it's a scrolling culture, right?
Speaker B:They're just scrolling through these videos and even if they sit on these videos, they're just a minute and a half to two minutes long.
Speaker B:So it's not like a, you know, it's not a, it's not a full video, it's just kind of a clip, right?
Speaker B:And the same can be said about news these days, I think is most people, they look at the headline, they maybe read the first or second paragraph and then, and then that's it.
Speaker B:Well, that in a way is where I think journalism is changing.
Speaker B:And you'll see a lot of news outlets now do short news blasts where they'll utilize Twitter now X to put like a small, just burst of information and then they'll say if you want to learn More, they click on the link or stay tuned to whatever, you know, whatever the platform is.
Speaker B:But those who want to learn more, they will, you know, they will go back and they'll delete the article its entirety.
Speaker B:And it's those, it's those people that I continue to write full length news articles, but yeah, I see it all the time.
Speaker B:And with our news outlet, I'll read the, the comments section on social media, for example, and people will have all these questions, well, like, what about this?
Speaker B:Like, are you looking into this?
Speaker B:And I'm just thinking, well, if you read my article, well, it's all in there, but it just, it just indicates that they probably just read the first portion of it or maybe they missed.
Speaker B:I can't speak for, you know, how they read and process information, but that's just my, that's my perception.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:A good friend of mine shared with me, we were talking about Instagram and you know, I was putting something together and I said, well, what do you think about this?
Speaker A:And she said, I think it's terrific, but I'll also let you know that it's a, almost two minutes long and the standard for Instagram today is a maximum between five and eight seconds.
Speaker A:And I said, what, five to eight seconds?
Speaker A:You know, I mean, this isn't like War and Peace that I want to put together here, but how do you, how do you whittle things down to five or eight seconds?
Speaker A:And, and you're really working at that point for neurological dopamine than you are actual content?
Speaker B:Yeah, well, there's a writing style in journalistic writing called the inverted pyramid, which has been around for, you know, years and years, far before the social media TikTok and Instagram.
Speaker B:And the inverted pyramid, basically, it teaches you to put the most important information at the top and then the least important information at the bottom.
Speaker B:So imagine, you know, you flip a triangle upside down.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that's because statistics show us that when most people read a news article, and again, even prior to the social media age, they're reading the first part of it, and then the further down the article you get, the more readers that you lose.
Speaker A:Gotcha.
Speaker A:That makes sense.
Speaker A:Now, do you find that there's a level of citizen journalism that is growing because of X, which was Twitter, Getter Truth, Social or whatever.
Speaker A:What other.
Speaker A:Whatever threads, whatever else is out there.
Speaker A:Are you finding that citizen journalism is picking up?
Speaker B:I am, yeah.
Speaker B:And to some success.
Speaker B:You know, I mentioned that I was on the Brandy Cruise show earlier.
Speaker B:She was a Fox News reporter for 15 years.
Speaker B:And left to pursue her independent journalism career.
Speaker B:And she's making a living off of it.
Speaker B:You know, she's seeing success.
Speaker B:She's got, I think, last time I checked, about 50,000 followers on Patreon.
Speaker B:Steve Hickey made a name for himself doing independent journalism.
Speaker B:Jonathan Cho, you know, he left his job at Como and now he's doing what he considers to be guerrilla journalism.
Speaker B:But those are just some examples that come to mind.
Speaker B:And all three of those people are seeing some success.
Speaker B:And they definitely have, you know, thousands and thousands of followers who are willing to not only follow them, but to they put their trust in their reporting and the work that they're doing.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think we've also seen that with Megan Kelly.
Speaker A:She was at Fox and then I think she went to, what was it, cnb, Was it CNN or msnbc?
Speaker A:And then from there she launched, she went independent.
Speaker A:Megyn Kelly did.
Speaker A:And then there's Lara Logan, who used to be with 60 Minutes, and she's an independent journalist.
Speaker A:But I was thinking more along the lines of the average individual who wasn't in broadcasting to begin with.
Speaker A:They are mom and pops.
Speaker A:Maybe they started going to PTA meetings or maybe they, maybe they just got tired of being in traffic.
Speaker A:They're really involved with what's going on and either they're sending you information or they're using these other platforms for themselves.
Speaker A:So have you seen that?
Speaker B:Yeah, I think that more and more people are just getting more interested in what's going on in the world.
Speaker B:Social media definitely opened up that pathway because now we have open communication at the tips of our fingertips and in seconds at that.
Speaker B:So you have this huge influx of information.
Speaker B:But with that also comes this heightened curiosity that people have to just know, want to know what's going on.
Speaker B:And as far as, you know, calling these people journalists there, I think there's a reason why, you know, most journalists go to school for journalism or work at an accredited news outlet.
Speaker B:There's a series of ethical codes that we abide by and we, we try to approach are reporting from an objectively non biased, you know, state the facts strategy.
Speaker B:And when people, when people get excited about things that they're passionate about, that's not always the case.
Speaker B:So I would be cautious to call, you know, these types of people journalists or reporters.
Speaker B:But I would definitely say that I've seen an insurgence of just general circulation of information and people just garnering interest on things.
Speaker A:Good point, good point.
Speaker A:Having an understanding of and a skill set to detach yourself while you're looking at information rather than necessarily looking for something.
Speaker A:Those.
Speaker A:Those are two different things.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:So let me ask you this question.
Speaker A:What are some of the best, biggest influences that have helped you on your journey?
Speaker A:What has been some of the biggest influences that have really propelled you?
Speaker B:Well, I would like to say writers like Dostoevskier, Steinbeck, just to sound profound, but I think.
Speaker B:I think in reality, one of my biggest influences was my late friend Alex, who passed away a couple years ago.
Speaker B:We grew up together, and he was always seeking intellectual discourse and challenging my ideas and stimulating thoughts.
Speaker B:He was absolutely instrumental in influencing the way I look at the world.
Speaker B:So I would say that it starts there because, that's where, you know, I developed an inquisitive mind, which ultimately helps as a journalist.
Speaker B:And then I think this is kind of a macro answer.
Speaker B:And I don't know if you're looking for something more specific, but honestly, the more and more people that I meet, not only through the work that I do, but just on the field or at a bar or social gathering, the more people that I meet, I found, you know, just listening to their stories, kind of like what you're doing now is asking me about my story, their experiences.
Speaker B:Everybody comes from a different place, and everybody goes through their own journey.
Speaker B:And those not only are inspiring to me to tell their stories and to look into things that I don't necessarily know as much as them about or as somebody else about, but those untold stories are ultimately, I think, what just inspires me to keep doing the work that I do.
Speaker A:Hmm.
Speaker A:Being able to share their story.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Well, that's really interesting.
Speaker A:So what would you share with someone who is interested in getting into the field?
Speaker A:And they don't want to be an astronaut.
Speaker A:They've got no desire to be a, you know, under the water in a submarine, racing into fiery buildings is not necessarily their jam.
Speaker A:And they really do like writing that.
Speaker A:This idea of.
Speaker A:Of.
Speaker A:Of hearing people's stories, finding out information, really being able to share, you know, truthful facts that.
Speaker A:That help people in their lives.
Speaker A:They want to follow that.
Speaker A:That path.
Speaker A:What would you share with them that you wish you would have known before you would have gotten started?
Speaker A:And some additional skills that have really helped you be successful?
Speaker B:Well, knowing how to navigate public records, I think, is a big one.
Speaker B:I would add to that, and this is something that I'm increasingly trying to get better at myself, is just learn how to be a good listener.
Speaker B:I think most people are always waiting for their opportunity to speak, and they know what they know already, but you don't always know what somebody else has to say.
Speaker B:And listening and just hearing and asking questions, I think is an invaluable resource as a reporter, because you never know what you might learn and what that new information or where that new information might lead you.
Speaker B:Personally, I wish I would have taken more advantage of broadcast and digital media classes when I was going to journalism school, because I think that's ultimately kind of where the journalism industry is headed.
Speaker B:So it's a skill set that I'm building now, but I wish it would have started much sooner, but.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Just cycling back to my first answer.
Speaker B:The public records knowing.
Speaker B:You know, most government records, for example, are made public in.
Speaker B:They're.
Speaker B:They're required to be public by law, but not everybody.
Speaker B:I don't think the layman understands just how much access they have to information and to how to navigate the often convoluted government system in order to access information.
Speaker B:So that's.
Speaker B:That's a big one because, you know, the.
Speaker B:The information is.
Speaker B:Is really endless.
Speaker B:And you.
Speaker B:You never know where.
Speaker B:What you're going to, what you're gonna.
Speaker B:Undercover if you just pursue it.
Speaker A:It takes a little work.
Speaker A:It's not just merely sitting down and typing into a browser.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:Yeah, you have to.
Speaker A:You have to do a little more legwork.
Speaker A:Is that correct?
Speaker B:Yeah, that's correct.
Speaker B:You know, a lot of times you have to submit a public records request, but there is the Freedom Information act, you know, which is.
Speaker B:I said this on Brandy Cruz's show.
Speaker B:It's the biggest tool in the journalist toolbox, I think, and it's just knowing how to submit a public records request and which entity to submit it to, and that sort of thing can get kind of confusing, I think, for people who aren't trained in the field.
Speaker A:Gotcha.
Speaker A:Well, what do you think are some skills that really helped you be successful that could help someone else?
Speaker B:Networking is a big one.
Speaker B:You know, earlier in our conversation, I was saying one of the biggest challenges that I was faced with when I first started out was that nobody knew who I was, and I didn't really have a lot of connections.
Speaker B:And those can make or break a reporter success because that connection to an interview or that connection to a news tip or whatever it may be, wherever those connections may lead, you can really dictate success.
Speaker B:But networking again, and, you know, I hate to repeat myself, but this plays into what I was talking about, just meeting people and sharing their stories.
Speaker B:Sometimes it's not all about the story.
Speaker B:Sometimes it's just learning what they do.
Speaker B:And I can't tell you how many times I go and cover an event.
Speaker B:And it could be something like a ribbon cutting for a new park that opens up or, you know, a new resource center, but the people that I meet there happen to work at Volunteers of America or it happens to be the CEO of a company who has a story lead.
Speaker B:For me, I get so many business cards when I go out in the field and cover an assignment and I follow up and they have news tips for me and I follow up with each and every one of them and I've gotten some really, really good stories out of that.
Speaker B:So it's just being open to meeting people and talking to people and you never know where that's going to take you.
Speaker A:Being open and being aware.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Being present.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And then, you know, the world is going on all around us.
Speaker A:I remember years ago we were coming back on 405 from someplace and my son was a teenager at the time and my, my daughter was not quite a teenager.
Speaker A:Any parent who has a teenager will understand what I'm, what I mean.
Speaker A:We're driving along and there is a car on fire on the side of the road.
Speaker A:It's on fire, full fledged fire.
Speaker A:It's dark black smoke coming out of, billowing out of the car.
Speaker A:And the flames are vivid.
Speaker A:And traffic slowing down.
Speaker A:And my son says, why is traffic slowing down?
Speaker A:And I said, son, there's a car on fire over there.
Speaker A:And he said, where?
Speaker A:My daughter?
Speaker A:From the back.
Speaker A:Oh my God, it's useless.
Speaker A:You are hopeless.
Speaker A:Yeah, he was in his teenage world thinking about whatever he was thinking about.
Speaker A:The aperture just was not wide.
Speaker A:You know, the aperture wasn't wide.
Speaker A:And of course she is extremely aware of what's going on.
Speaker A:And I think that that's kind of the same.
Speaker A:That's a visual that I have for, you know, our world, our life, being.
Speaker A:Being aware of who's in the room, what's going on, who's connected to who.
Speaker A:Not because we want to manipulate anything, we don't, but we want to collect great people and we want to have a better understanding.
Speaker A:And my understanding over the years has been that perhaps you, your vantage point provides some unique gifts and insight that mine doesn't.
Speaker A:And so I'd really like to have that understanding and by asking you to share what you know, definitely helps me with, with what I know or what I can know.
Speaker B:Well, if I could build off your example, you know, one of the things I've been trying to do more is meditate and I'VE been.
Speaker B:Been doing a pretty good job at, you know, 10 minutes.
Speaker B:Just 10 minutes to 15 minutes of meditation a day.
Speaker B:But the story that I have is related but different to that.
Speaker B:I just got a new puppy a year ago.
Speaker A:Oh, nice.
Speaker B:German shepherd poodle mix.
Speaker B:And he is highly energetic, highly intelligent, so he needs constant physical and mental stimulation.
Speaker B:And since getting him, you know, I take him on frequent walks.
Speaker B:But because he's a puppy and because he needs to be in constant training, you know, me focused on him at all times, treats in my pocket, making sure he's not developed any leash reactivity or, you know, pulling on the leash or whatever.
Speaker B:It's just like a.
Speaker B:I can't have my phone out.
Speaker B:I can't be scrolling social media.
Speaker B:I can't be talking on anybody.
Speaker B:My attention has to be on this dog the entire time that we're going on walks.
Speaker B:And since I take him out on frequent walks and I try to find places that are tucked away from, you know, bustling streets, usually forest trails, I'm in nature.
Speaker B:I'm with this dog.
Speaker B:I have my phone in my pocket, and my attention is on this dog at all times.
Speaker B:And the reason why I bring that up is ever since I started doing this, I've been really appreciative of these, what I like to call forced blessings.
Speaker B:Because I'm looking around and I'm seeing these trees and I'm seeing this nature and this animal seeing a butterfly for the first time because he's only a year old, right?
Speaker B:The sense of bewilderment on his face, just like, what is this?
Speaker B:It's flapping around.
Speaker B:And to me, that's a sort of meditation because I'm disconnecting from the world for a minute, for 20 minutes.
Speaker B:I'm walking in nature.
Speaker B:I'm with this animal, and that's, you know, paying attention to the world outside and not necessarily the world in my pocket.
Speaker A:That is excellent.
Speaker A:You're looking and you're involved in real life nature as opposed to digital anime.
Speaker A:That may be important.
Speaker A:It may be important, but you're getting to see that.
Speaker A:You're getting to see that puppy recognize something for the very first time.
Speaker A:And the full.
Speaker A:And the reaction of that, you know, that's.
Speaker A:That's excellent.
Speaker A:That is excellent.
Speaker A:Do you find that as you're walking, maybe it's 10 minutes, maybe it's 20 minutes.
Speaker A:But do you find that that break allows you to think through things, maybe something that you're working on or a case that you're investigating?
Speaker A:Do you find that that Also helps you with that.
Speaker B:Definitely, definitely.
Speaker B:In fact, sometimes I'll take my dog on a walk.
Speaker B:Not because he needs it, you know, it will be like 20, 30 minutes after he's already been out.
Speaker B:But I do it just because I need to step away from whatever I'm working on and have that disconnect that we were talking about.
Speaker B:And I am thinking about it in a different light and it's really transformative.
Speaker B:This works, I've noticed, not just with my job, but with the novels that I write.
Speaker B:If I ever hit a roadblock and I don't quite know how to take the story where it needs to go, I'll go on a walk and then I'll come.
Speaker B:When I come back, I sit down at my desk and I look at it.
Speaker B:It looks completely different and I.
Speaker B:I feel like I can encounter the problem in a different way.
Speaker A:That is excellent.
Speaker A:That is excellent.
Speaker A:And that's great encouragement as well.
Speaker A:Well, listen, Keenan, thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker A:We'll definitely have to have you back.
Speaker A:Definitely have to ask you about your thoughts on some, maybe some different issues throughout the year as well.
Speaker A:If people want to follow you, what are your coordinates?
Speaker A:What are the best ways for them to follow you online?
Speaker B:Yeah, well, I'm on pretty much all social media.
Speaker B:I would urge people to follow me on Twitter.
Speaker B:That's where I pretty much primarily use my.
Speaker B:I guess it's called X now.
Speaker B:But for my news coverage they can follow me at M and then my name, Keenan Briscoe 6.
Speaker B:That's Keenan Briscoe 6.
Speaker B:And I do all my Snohomish county based reporting.
Speaker B:X.
Speaker B:And then as I mentioned at the beginning of our conversation of a few novels for sale on Amazon as well, M, Keenan Briscoe.
Speaker B:And the titles of those are Satori and Sorrow, the Magnum Opera and Emerald City Blues.
Speaker B:And have one other one coming out at the end of the year.
Speaker B:But I would just say to keep an eye out for that.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker B:I'll make, I'll make formal announcements on my ex, if you follow me.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:And we'll put the links to those, those books in the show notes.
Speaker A:If people want to subscribe to the Linwood Times, what's the best way for them to subscribe to the Linwood Times?
Speaker B:We have our website, which is easy to remember, lynwoodtimes.com we have just an online form there where you can sign up for a subscription.
Speaker B:So that's probably the easiest way.
Speaker B:We do have our.
Speaker B:Our news for the moment is completely free, which also separates us from most of our competitors.
Speaker B:And then we have a print paper, too, that publishes bi weekly, and it circulates all over South Snohomish county, which can usually be found at, you know, local restaurants, newsstands, grocery stores, that sort of thing.
Speaker B:But to have the print copy delivered straight to your mailbox, just go to LumwoodTimes.com, go all the way to the bottom on the front page, and then you can type your name in your email and then just hit the subscribe button there.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:Well, Kanan, thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker A:You are living what we implore people, and that is to invest in what you love.
Speaker A:Keenan, thank you so much, my friend.
Speaker A:And until next time, we want to encourage everyone to always invest in what you love.
Speaker B:Thanks so much, Paul.
Speaker B:I appreciate you having me.
