tv Book TV CSPAN January 15, 2012 8:30pm-9:00pm EST
8:30 pm
called it like bostick in wonderland. it was like a spokesperson. >> remember they are responding in part like "the new york post" loves this story and went for it for days and days and days and actually published the top pitchers of the president dressed as the mad hatter. i don't want to speak for the white house, but remember the fact they are focusing as much on that i think or more than they are on what's in my book. >> sort of a reaction to the media. >> yeah. that's what they've said and what people have told me that they are worried less worried about my book itself than to meet you know, the sort of sensationalized coverage of stuff that i've described. senator just want to announce we have time for about three more so we will do one here.
8:31 pm
>> okay, great. >> .. which is kind of that same moment that his legislative agenda kind of stalled because the scott brown in the midterm elections and everything else. if he'd realized it, do you see, you know, this continued transformation continuing to have been in on the political side of things, do you think that can contribute to and maybe being more the fact those publicly? i mean, he's been seen as being kind of weak compared to the congress. do you think that transformation
8:32 pm
transformation -- >> now, i think you're asking the right question because i think a very -- a very big question i have about this president is how creative his conception of presidential power is because we know what literal presidential power is in a spot that because of legislative and economic circumstance is. u and so part of his challenges tt come up with a more expansive and creative and flexible senset ofia presidential power. and you know, that is part of ws why -- this is a sort of a contrast a pink in my reportingt that the first lady because thet first lady doesn't have any official power can associate to be extremely creative in a way m in terms of establishing the pur herself. so i can't answer for you how you can do that but i think you are asking the right question.
8:33 pm
>> with the's transformation you are talking about, from being very personal and authentic to being more politicized and political as a person and as a politician, do you think that voters as they are today are going to be turned on by that ability to kind of take control or the seeming ability to take control and make change or is it going to sort of alienate the young and maybe apolitical voters that really came to the forefront and his first time around? >> that is a good question because i remember you wrote this column around spring of 2010 when he was becoming much more overtly political and i can't remember the specific examples you cited that i remember doing the -- when he met -- went to meet with john boehner and he went over to
8:34 pm
capitol hill for the st. patrick's day luncheon. he told this jolly st. patrick's story about how you know we may wrangle over riches bed at night we are such good friends and i was like wow, like i have been covering this guy for a long time and it kind of doesn't sound like him. and so i think part of what you have to do is find a way to satisfy the political requirements but in a way that is authentic to him and like you say, peels to the people who found him to be an original and unique voice in american political life. >> thank you both are coming. i feel like everyone is almost asking the question i want to ask. i hope i'm not making you repeat yourself but i also wanted to ask about obama's political instincts because my impression of him and reading about him is
8:35 pm
he is very intellectual like a law professor and how he approaches policy issues and i was wondering did you also see some stories in the news about questioning what is the obama doctrine kind of looking for a common thread policywise? and so i was just wondering if you could talk about how he, how he approaches policy issues and particularly with his relationship with very politicized aids like rahm emanuel who might be looking more towards the political effect of the issue? >> well, the thing i really saw in the story about immigration reform is about how frustrating the kind of irrationality of politics can be for him, because like if you, so, the story in the book is that he wants to give immigration reform a push
8:36 pm
around 2010. he actually gives a speech in july, and emanuel thinks it's a terrible idea for the reasons i mentioned that he really wanted to happen. and you know, it seems not only a series of problems for him. there are a series of problems in the world that have very rational solutions on the table. but those solutions are not happening for political reasons. immigration reform, there has been a consensus in the country for a white, pretty much 10 years about that basically reasonable solution would be to fix our immigration system, basically revamp the system so it's more fair and less capricious, using better enforcement but also allow people to weigh in and a lot of republicans have agreed on that in the past as well. that it is not happening for political reasons and another example that is totally different i think the
8:37 pm
israeli-palestinian conflict has the same way, there has been you know a roadmap for roadmap for peace in the israeli-palestinian conflict on the table for 10, 20 years now. navy the border goes here, maybe the border goes here but everybody basically knows, right, what a potential deal with look like look-alike and yet it's not happening and it can't happen for political reasons. you know talking to white house aides and watching the president even talking about that, i think it's really hard for him because he has such an analytical person. he sees the solution to this problem as no mystery and yet somehow he can't make it happen. >> thank you jody. the book is how movie stars shaped american politics and -- "the obamas" and the author is jodi kantor. >> and thank you david. [applause]
8:38 pm
>> here's a short author interview from c-span campaign 2012 is as it the country. >> what function does the media served when there are outbreaks? >> well, when there is an outbreak on the media has two different functions. one comment the media looks at its coverage of convening information from the public to humanities. in the same time, should work as an analytic tool. they provide different information, diverse days.
8:39 pm
but it is very important for the media to focus on their object is coverage will as well as providing a lot of different petitions. >> what constitutes an outbreak? been that well, outbreak did a search and abnormal disease occurrence in a certain community or region a group of people. so in case of, for example come in case of west nile virus, nobody expected west nile virus would occur in the united states, but it had been. maybe not in ms's gift, but it occurred. so it was defined as an out rate. >> do think the new media list that to their responsibility and how they handle out weeks? or do you think they need to work on that? >> it's hard to say. how much coverage news media should have or should not have.
8:40 pm
according to my research, the news coverage was pretty much balanced. usually we say there are two very distinct frameworks windows media covers the outbreak. it is diagnostic frame, which focuses on what is the risk and what happens, how many people died and who is taking care of what. and then we have a prognostic framework, which is focused on telling us about what other causes, how do we do -- what do we do to prevent it? then what should we do as remedial action? so my analysis shows that the news media around new york at the up rake of west nile virus was pretty much coverage.
8:41 pm
>> tell us about how you did your research and why you used the west nile virus is your case i.d. >> okay, i was interested in two different topics than i was in the program. the first one was how media works. and the second one was how this risk of communication works in society. i didn't have any particular interest in west nile virus that then peered west nile virus is not there yet you then. but at this time of planning, i was looking for specific topics. there was a west nile virus out greek that was merely coincidence. if it had to be sars, it would have been about sars. >> so since then, been hours and the swine flu outbreak. have you noticed the media has changed the way they are
8:42 pm
reporting on house breaks? >> there is no change in terms of covering health risk issues come out rakes. they see that a substantial change in terms of how people recognize the principles of outbreak communication. so for example, w. h. d. zero and cdc came up with an interesting principle. and this is very help full for officials to deal with outbreak situations and also very generous, too. >> natalie at the 24 hour news cycle, you think the influence of media and health issues has changed? >> yes, having a 24 hour cycle news media helps people to access invariable information
8:43 pm
into the outbreak situation. yes, definitely. >> what about social media now that we way facebook and twitter? >> in the same line of thought, gives ample opportunity to medical and scientific data about the south. so it has a lot of potential and benefits for the audience. but there is another site we have to consider. usually when this outbreak happens, scholars think there is time for what they call psychosocial epidemics. psychosocial epidemics is a turn with crisis over time, with a scientific and medical community could not provide any incident to the outbreak had so for example come the west nile virus occurred in 1999 and it took
8:44 pm
several months before the scientist in the medical community came up with a certain explanation about that. so during that time, and media was covering a lot of stories and theories and explanations. people are seeking for answers to remedy -- as a remedy for their fear and anxiety. so this is time for psychosocial epidemics. psychosocial epidemics can be -- can appear in three different ways. the first one is epidemics feared. the fear is spreading out. and next, academic explanation because the medical and scientific community does not provide any definite answers. there's so many levels of explanation and people are consuming those.
8:45 pm
and there is some action. so we have with relation to the explanations and theories have so many different action guidelines. we cannot necessarily be scientific, waiting for the end of the world. so these are called the psychosocial epidemics. so the facebook and twitter, all the social media are beneficial potential benefits. but at the same time, it can be accelerating media for the psychosocial epidemics. >> rate, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you very much. >> you now, that's a story which
8:46 pm
on the surface does sound very intriguing for me. for me to go forward it, she would have to have it personal and for me because i'm a journalist who is going to show up and knock on a tour. i have to have the story. it would have to have the elements that i am looking for. when starting the papers, that means there's other journalists running around it. and i'm also not a gun for hire. sofer may have to want to rate it as my boat. but it's intriguing. i would love to see an e-mail from her. because of his something that you have a handle on my commute in to talk to everybody and they want to tell their story, i did read a book about oil, but he was more in the new york exchange in dubai. it's intriguing. i start and stop stories all the time. silicate dozens of these, look into 10 minutes it's really not right for me or it's going to take too much time or be too dangerous.
8:47 pm
i also don't like that myself in real danger, so i wouldn't write a story where you had to do some are dangerous or get involved with mob people. i've gotten those e-mails, to. these e-mails are people who have done horrible things. i mean, it everybody e-mails me. what at least the two went down, the madam was e-mailing me. i got e-mails from charlie sheen people. that i would've loved to been. again, i don't think that life would've done that. juliana fund people. everyone does contact me at some point. i like stories that the beaten track as no one is hurt but then. >> sex on the moon. he got arrested in orlando. >> helicopters close the major headways. >> and they covered it up. and i'm not going to say nasa -- i don't know how nasa covered it up, but nasa was very embarrassed. he was one of their own who robbed them. >> at a big trial.
8:48 pm
>> i don't know how public of us. as a federal trial. i assume it would have to have been. there were reporters they are. it was written about so little and it never exploded. there is a wonderful l.a. times article about at the time, which was a four-page article and that was really it. that was years ago. >> to nasa cooperate at all? >> now, nasa told everyone not to speak to me, which makes people want to talk to me. i actually got axle and remand, the mineral color or. never been out of antwerp in his life. he corrects rock and his wife's name is crystal. he meets every monday night with 50, 60 or guys in an abandoned radical basically and they treat drugs. he gets a name a lot of the blue, do you want to buy a moon rock from the u.s.? immediately he is excited. but anything speak, something is fishy here. he decides something is going on, so he e-mails the fbi in the
8:49 pm
united states and says he might be interested in this. the fbi crystal case using axel is their main source. he reached out to me. wonderful guy. and nasa people were feeding him things they wanted me to know. and then, i decided i want to go to an asset he would like. they said no one was allowed to talk to me. and what the website and sign up for a level 92 or, which is an internal high-security story. i figured they would cross checked my name, but it's a government bureaucracy and we know how that works. i show up at nasa and they give me a security badge and the next thing i know i'm inside nasa. and then pat roberts is texting me. he's like okay, there's a door at the back of the cafeteria. so is walking around nasa being the ultimate guide to repair the guy who wrote an asset. i got a lot of great information and i was able to get court
8:50 pm
documents. i have a little group who helped me. i have a lawyer who is kind of like one of those guys who can do anything lawyers in his private eyes who can go to tampa and get me to court records. >> or should the public anyway. >> i also got the fbi files. it took a year for them to send them to me. i was amazed they sense at all. there is thousands of pages. so i knew everything was true. i knew i could back everything up. you can have always been his pockets. the fbi -- you know, you see how hard they work. they had research on moon rocks for 200 pages, just to know. get all the information that way. >> this is that tends in that program. (202)737-0001. if 11 eastern time zone,
8:51 pm
202-737-0002 not meant to send us an e-mail booktv@c-span.org here for twitter.com/booktv as their address. patrick in a london connecticut, you run booktv. >> a question for you. we are an author and screenwriter, what is the difference aside in the obvious consolidated out into a two-hour format. does he get frustrating? it seems to me whenever you watch a movie actio credit the coming 89% of the time you can say there is something left out. i just went to the movies by movie and theaters and read a book. but i was amazed that important things get left out of a screenplay that were in the boat. i understand you can't fit it all in, but can you talk about that at all? >> first of all i am not a successful screenwriter. i have done one or two screenplays. i did one adaptation of ugly
8:52 pm
americans that didn't get made. so my books usually bring in someone else that they process. screenplay is a different animal than a book. all the dialogue and motivation often movies are not as good as the book. i've been very lucky. social networks is a phenomenal movie. you know, they have to pick and choose. it's a shorter format and also it is not always relevant. but i see movies before where i sat there less than they know and then i see movies for a good day put up way to much in. so it is all the strength of the screenwriter. as someone who adapts their own work, and everything is cutting things. most writers make the mistake of putting too much in. you want a screenplay to run
8:53 pm
quickly. you like to be fast, exciting and not spend time sitting around talking. and books he can get away with that. my books i read mike screenplays they get attacked for that as well. i am always thinking of a movie when i rate. i visualize everything and imagine justin timberlake running around doing it all and that's how i sit and write. so when i write comments as if i'm writing a movie. people who raised employees don't usually read books. >> michael depaulo tweets into you, what are your upcoming projects and storylines? >> that's a good question for michael. michael is in boston, right? he's an incredible fashion designer who works in boston. he wants me to tell secrets. i am working on a big new project, but am not yet up liberally to tell what it's about. and maybe a female main
8:54 pm
character, which would be very new for me. i've never written a schema character. as i write that the next, that will be yet. i haven't really decided yet my next book is, but i'm also working on a couple of television shows. i have a scripted shows that i am working on and then i have a show of reality type documentaries brca1 and stories every week, which i've been working on. you know how these macho guys on tv? and the opposite of that. man versus wild i am the guy who doesn't exceed. i try and tell the story. well, all the stuff people pitched to me, essentially. i become a part of it and you can see the story, but then i get a breakout. i don't know yet specifically what my next book is. i have an idea what it might be, but a haven't fully decided yet. >> must take tweets and we ugly americans.
8:55 pm
are you familiar with carson block, muddy waters and the china media express for a? >> no. it sounds really intriguing though. i've actually been pitched a bunch of china stories. they are tricky because there's so much corruption. it's dangerous spending any amount of time. to increase the things. but it's a little bit dangerous for me to do one of those stories. i don't know specifically what he's talking about, but there's some good ones there. >> robert bair clove says are you familiar in relationship to my name? >> richard hoagland. you know, it is familiar but i don't know. he gave the more i might know what you're talking about. >> mario and miami, good afternoon. you're on booktv with a master.
8:56 pm
[inaudible] >> a lot of people can't tell me their stories about money. i had two types of people coming to tell me stories. people who want money or people love so much money that they just want their stories told. which is often more time. it depends on the situation. i'm not trained to write biographies of peep of. i really want to write my book that are about true stories that have been. so it's a little different. i have in the past the main nerds for bringing down the house. i give them 10% of pretty much everything. the movie was separate. they can become consultants. it all depends on the situation.
8:57 pm
they don't get anything. obviously the facebook quote or way richer than i'll ever be the rest my life. it's just different for every situation. my goal is to write the story -- the problem and you pay the characters as you can become holden to them in a way. it's a rare partnership when you read a story about someone because they're not going to like everything you read in the book. some things they would really dislike because when you tell a true story they tell all the elements of the story. he really wants an independent and be able to read the story as it happened. and not necessarily as they want you to write the story. it is not a paid for higher kind of situation where they say what you do right by story and then know that's not how it happened. it is more like this is an incredible story and i want to write it. and then we have to work something out. if someone gets paid, it is because they are enabling the research and consulting on the fact and consult on the film.
8:58 pm
if they consult with the film, then hollywood wants to buy vice president make the story because it wants the story to be accurate. i believe the hollywood studios much prefers someone who gives themselves into the point where it's accurate. but it's not like running around the site trying to control everything. the goal of course is a partnership in which i can write the book however the book has to be. if a movie is made they can consult in the film. stiffer for every project. usually a main area to put the country success, they're going to get a lot out of it that has nothing to do with the payment and giving them. they can become famous first of all. they can use that in any way they want. the people from the facebook but i believe profited very well from it. everyone involved did very well, including mark for. the social network were very
8:59 pm
good for mark burke and face the beard i don't believe he would've been on the cover of time. i don't think the company would be worth $100 billion i believe it was a big part of making their image cool. mark is way cooler in the movie then he was before the movie. and everyone knows than i may know him and the way they would if ever known him and that ticket possibility. >> how were you able to use a picture of mark on yearbook? i believe it is a photo of a public figure. i've seen a lot of obama books. i think there are different rules. i am not a lawyer, but as long as that's true, you're not labeling anybody. as for photos that it's a public figure, i honestly have no idea how that works. i'm sure there are people who do. in fact you think you'll ever get a chance to chat? >> whe
142 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
CSPAN2 Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on