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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 21 OctOber 2022
Sullivan’s warning: Journalists should be on high alert

By DAVID BAUDER tern in 1980 at what was
AP Media Writer then called the Buffalo
NEW YORK (AP) — Marga- Evening News. She rose
ret Sullivan cringed one through the newsroom to
day when a former col- become its top editor in
league at The Washington 1999. She describes sexism
Post, critic Carlos Lozada, she encountered along
tweeted with exaspera- the way, like when an older
tion about books pitched male editor took credit for
to him as combinations of her idea. They were good
memoir and manifesto. years, grounding years, for
That’s exactly what she was newspaper work.
writing. Sullivan’s “News- “Journalism offered a vi-
room Confidential” traces able career path,” she
her career from The Buf- wrote. “Not a great way to
falo News to The New York get rich, perhaps, but cer-
Times and The Washington tainly a way to earn a living
Post, but its meat lies in the wage. As a bonus, it struck
challenge she puts to fellow me as exceedingly cool.”
journalists in the Trump era. She wasn’t intimidated
Too many times she saw when she spotted an
journalists slow to recognize opening for The New York
threats posed to democ- Times’ public editor job in
racy during his presidency 2012, pursuing it hard. Lo-
and now, with Donald cal newspapers were con-
Trump poised for a poten- tracting, and she didn’t
tial comeback and follow- This combination of photos shows the cover image for “Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and have the stomach for steer-
ers his taking cues, Sullivan Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life” by Margaret Sullivan, left, and a portrait of Sullivan. ing The Buffalo News in a
Associated Press
said she worries that report- diminished state.
ers are unprepared. results of the 2020 election. horserace, we don’t see it engage with someone like The public editor is a thank-
“There still seems to be a The issue hasn’t gone as entertaining. We see it Margaret.” But, Bunch con- less job. You’re situated in
tendency to not want to away, as illustrated this as extremely consequen- ceded, “listening to her a newsroom, charged with
offend,” she said, “to not past weekend when CNN’s tial and happening before and doing something in publicly evaluating the
want to offend the Repub- Dana Bash sparred with our eyes.” Press criticism response are two different work of those around you.
lican establishment, to not Kari Lake, Arizona’s Repub- is not new; for instance, things.” Nobody likes to be criti-
offend the Trump Republi- lican candidate for gover- the media’s performance The concern is whether cized, whether it’s some-
cans, but rather to normal- nor. Bash repeatedly asked before the Iraq War was hostility toward the press one at the highest levels
ize them with democracy about false fraud reports widely condemned, said has reached a point of no of journalism or the person
on the brink. I don’t think and pressed Lake about Will Bunch, columnist for return. Too many Ameri- serving you coffee.
that’s the right approach.” whether she would accept the Philadelphia Inquirer. cans are tuned out or more Sullivan became known
Several news organizations her own election results. But not many who raise interested in their own be- for her blunt writing about
now have special beats to Lake complained Bash was concerns have Sullivan’s liefs than truth, Sullivan said. the Times during her years
cover threats to the elec- concentrating on old news. stature, he said. “Both of those things are there, tackling such issues
toral process. Sullivan ac- “I don’t think it’s about “This criticism isn’t coming very, very troubling,” she as the overuse of confiden-
knowledges that work, and being aggressive,” Sulli- from the outside,” Bunch said. “Do I think we’re too tial sources, its coverage
praises Harrisburg, Pennsyl- van said. “I think it’s about said. “It’s coming from far gone? I don’t want to of Hillary Clinton’s emails
vania, radio station WITF, framing things differently someone who is in many think that.” and national security is-
which reminds listeners on so we don’t see these very ways the ultimate insider. Born and raised in nearby sues, even poking fun at so-
a regular basis about local high stakes politics as a People at the highest lev- Lackawanna, New York, called fashion trends tout-
legislators who rejected the game, we don’t see it as els are going to have to Sullivan was a summer in- ed by the Styles section.q

Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Demon Copperhead’ is new

Oprah pick

By HILLEL ITALIE of epic you want to read Her past novels include she connects books and
AP National Writer this fall.” The book is set in “The Bean Trees,” “Flight readers, but because of
NEW YORK (AP) — Barbara the mountains of southern Behavior” and “The Poison- the reader she is, herself.
Kingsolver’s “Demon Cop- Appalachia and follows wood Bible,” a Winfrey se- I could barely hold it to-
perhead,” a modern re- the life of a boy, born to a lection in 2000. Her honors gether when she described
telling of Charles Dickens’ single, teenage mother, as include a National Humani- my own book to me on the
“David Copperfield,” is he endures everything from ties Medal and the Dayton phone her appreciation
Oprah Winfrey’s new book foster care to drug addic- Literary Peace Prize. of the craft, the empathy,
club choice. tion. “Getting that call from and how it touched her
In a statement Tuesday, Kingsolver, 67, has lived for Oprah is the highest literary personally.” This cover image released
the release date for “De- years on a farm in southern prize on the planet, if you Winfrey will host an interac- by Harper shows “Demon
mon Copperhead,” Win- Appalachia, and has long ask me,” Kingsolver said in tive gathering with King- Copperhead” by Barbara
frey called Kingsolver’s blended narrative drama a statement. “Not just be- solver and Oprah Daily In- Kingsolver.
560-page novel “the kind and social commentary. cause of the powerful way siders on Nov. 17.q Associated Press