1. Gary Murphy for Jeanette Trompeter – Introduction to the keynote
speaker for the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists banquet
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Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I’m J.T. of WCCO television, and it’s
an honor and a pleasure to be with the Society of Professional
Journalists this evening.
It’s further an honor and a pleasure to introduce this evening’s keynote
speaker, Mr. Al Franken. You surely know Mr. Franken as a founding
writer and performer on “Saturday Night Live” – and now as a political
candidate, for the United States Senate.
While we think of Al as an entertainer, don’t forget that he is a
journalistic colleague as well. In fact, he is a pioneer of “fake” television
news as a correspondent on SNL’s “Weekend Update”, working with
such greats as Jane Curtin, Rosanne Roseannadanna, Father Guido
Sarducci, Bill Murray, and sportscasting legend Chico Escuela.
The line between entertainment journalism and “real” journalism has
blurred to some extent, and satiric news is becoming a genuine source of
information for many. So consider that while influential “Daily Show”
anchor Jon Stewart was still learning about the Vietnam War through
M*A*S*H re-runs, social science commentator Al Franken was reporting
on his own decade, the one that supplanted the “Me Decade” of the
1970s.
Today, Al also registers as a prominent political commentator, the
author of undeniably fair-and-balanced books including “Rush Limbaugh
is a Big Fat Idiot” and “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them”.
Ann Coulter – as featured in his chapters “Ann Coulter: Nutcase” and
“You Know Who I Don’t Like? Ann Coulter” – may not be too fond of him
right now, but I for one am excited to hear his thoughts on our own
state’s state of journalism and politics.
Here he is – he’s good enough, he’s smart enough and doggone it,
people like him – Al Franken!