Chris Matthews's television persona is not just a persona at all. It's who he really is



Chris Matthews's television persona is not just a persona at all. It's who he really is

In Punditland, a Little Imagination Could Yield Needed Diversity

By Terry M. Neal
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2005; 8:59 AM

If you had tuned into NBC's "Meet the Press" last week, you would have seen six men sitting around a table talking about religion for a special show about faith in America.

Of those six men, five were white. The other was an Iranian American. In a vacuum, this would mean little. Few people are looking for a racial or gender quota system, and the men knew their subject. But it underscores a larger point that women and minorities are still too often unrepresented in the punditry class.

[Excerpt]

I even did NBC's Chris Matthews Show twice in 2003. I ran into Matthews at bar in New Hampshire during the primaries last winter and asked why he hadn't had me on in a while. He assured me that he liked having me on the show and thought I did well. "You know what I don't like?" he said. "It's that 'dot com' thing. Can you lose that? Can you just say Washington Post?"

I laughed and told him no, and reminded him that I worked for newspapers for a dozen years, including such high-profile jobs as covering the Bush campaign for The Post before I came over to the "dot com" side to write a column.

"Hmm, well are you the editor? Are you in charge of the whole place?" he asked. "No," I answered. "Well let me know when they put you in charge and I'll have you on again."

Matthews laughed when he said it. And I did too -- but mainly because I realized just then that Matthews's television persona is not just a persona at all. It's who he really is.

That conversation illustrates a serious point. Most of the people who make decisions about booking guests and finding writers would theoretically like to see more diversity. But the problem is that they don't cast a wide enough net. They allow themselves to get caught up in very narrow, inside-the-Beltway, old school definitions that limit the pool of guest possibilities. Because they scout primarily in the upper echelons of the networks, the two main newsmagazines and four top newspapers, The Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal -- the pool of available talent naturally is going to consist almost solely of white guys over 50.

When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand After the Tsunami in Southeast Asia last December, Peace Corps issued an appeal for Crisis Corps Volunteers and over 200 RPCVs responded. The first team of 8 Crisis Corps volunteers departed for Thailand on March 18 to join RPCVs who are already supporting relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India with other agencies and NGO's.

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This Month's Feature Stories - only on PCOL Dream Come True - Revisiting India after 34 years The Coyne Column: Read Winning Vanity Fair PCV Essay Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years RPCV reviews "Los Heraldos Negros" by Cesar Vallejo Photo Essay: Taking it to the Streets

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March 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories PCVs in Kyrgyz Republic Are Safe 25 Mar The Coyne Column: A Good Friday Message 25 Mar Frederic Zenhausern developing "biometric bodysuits" 24 Mar Robert Blackwill calls for US co-operation with India 23 Mar Margaret Krome promotes alternate crops 23 Mar Al Kamen says allies disappointed in World Bank 23 Mar Ambassador Randall L. Tobias speaks at PC 22 Mar Becky Binns helps organize 30-hour fast 22 Mar Fred Poses meets with Vice-Premier in China 22 Mar John Hoff unionizes substitute teachers in Hawaii 21 Mar Bill Moyers takes time to "sit and vegetate" 21 Mar Tony Hall says Ethiopia may need more food aid 21 Mar Taylor Hackford's 'Ray' wins four NAACP Image Awards 21 Mar PCV seeks tap shoes for students in Moldova 20 Mar Adam Donaldson learns to believe in Baltimore 20 Mar Allen Andersson builds libraries in Central America 19 Mar Senator Sarbanes' quiet leadership will be missed 15 Mar

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March 26, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News Houston RPCVs sponsor "Around the World in a Day"on April 6 25 Mar Minnesota RPCVs need Photos for Exhibition 24 Mar Vasquez to visit DePaul University on April 6 22 Mar New Jersey RPCVs host exhibit in Maplewood on April 2 20 Mar Maryland RPCVs eat crab cakes in Annapolis 17 Mar Connecticut RPCVs held fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

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Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

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March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.

Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.

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