NPR's Intern Edition Summer 2004

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All Things Uncovered: Inside NPR's Favorite Afternoon Program

by Emilia Stefanczyk

August 6, 2004 - When I tell my friends about my internship at NPR, they ask, "Who have you met?" and "Have you seen any shows being recorded?" I decided that I would disappoint many, including me, if I didn't return home with stories of celebrity encounters and peeks behind the scenes of my favorite shows. As my internship duties normally keep me at a distance from the excitement of show production, I immediately took notice when my supervisor expressed a need for an article about All Things Considered, or ATC. This assignment would allow me to spend a full day shadowing the production of the show -just the opportunity I had been waiting for!

I was astonished to discover that work on the program only officially starts at the 10 a.m. editorial meeting - just six hours before airtime! I couldn't wait to witness how it is possible to produce a two-hour, award-winning, standard-setting radio program in such a short time.

I timidly enter the spacious meeting room filled with the ATC staff. I sit in a chair against the wall of the room, selecting a vantage point for watching them engage in a brainstorming session about the day's show. Senior Producer Graham Smith facilitates the conversation, "Any other stories? Keep 'em coming! Let's find a way to breathe life into this piece!"

Within 40 minutes, the stories are chosen and delegated to reporters. One piece, "Faster Pastor" -- an interview with a stockcar racing reverend -- sends a wave of laughter across the room. While the staff members take their jobs seriously, stories of this nature occasionally inject a welcome bit of levity into the hard news of the day. Ending the meeting on this humorous note makes it easier for me to overcome my shyness -- Robert Siegel and Melissa Block are in the room! I introduce myself and tell the staff that I will be shadowing them for the day.

I follow the group to where the remainder of the day's work will take place - a section of the NPR offices known as "the horseshoe," named from the shape of the collection of cubicles where the show's producers sit. At the end of the horseshoe, an empty dry-erase board greets Smith, who doesn't let it stay clean for too long. Within an hour, the board reveals a map of the day's story line-up.

In a rare moment when Graham Smith doesn't appear too busy, I ask him to shed light on his strategy for putting together a consistently successful show.

"I aim for variety and balance," Smith says. "We want to give listeners the news they want, but also a break, a diversion. While we begin with heavier segments, we tend to end with something light, taking our listeners on a fascinating journey in between."

As the afternoon proceeds, the atmosphere in the ATC production area is tranquil and amiable, and at the same time, intensely focused. It happens to be a very slow news day. While Smith views such days as an opportunity for more creative shows, much of the staff admits that they prefer news-heavy days, which give them a rush.

I watch as people - in their pursuit of perfection - work on pieces until minutes, even seconds, before they are scheduled to air. Such time pressure seems almost unbearable to me, but I seem to be the only person nervous about whether or not the pieces will be ready in time.

About 15 minutes before airtime, Robert Siegel and Melissa Block settle into their host chairs. Director Bob Boilen invites me into the production area of the studio, which is separated from the hosts by soundproof glass and walls. The program starts at precisely 4 p.m. - not a fraction of a second sooner, or later.

About half an hour into the show, I see how spontaneously the show's beloved music "buttons" -- short musical interludes used to separate pieces that vary in topic and mood -- are sometimes chosen. While a pre-taped segment plays, offering a momentary break for the studio staff, Robert Siegel shares an idea with Boilen.

"My next sign-off will end with the phrase 'home sweet home,'" Siegel says. "Wouldn't it be clever to use a piece of Over the Rainbow as the ensuing music button?" Boilen checks the clock, and in a flash, determines that in the minute and a half remaining, he can dash to his office and retrieve the needed CD. Unfortunately, he gets tangled in the winding cords of his head-phones on the way out, gets lassoed back towards his chair, and doesn't succeed in getting the CD on time. Laughing about the mishap, he jokes, "Remind me to get some cordless head-phones!"

The rest of the program runs smoothly, with interns running continuously updated scripts into the hosts' studio, and stories coming in right on schedule. During another pre-recorded segment, Boilen turns to me and says, "OK, I now have exactly two minutes and fifteen seconds free. Ask me whatever questions you have!" Caught off guard, I scramble for my notepad and waste half of the valuable time searching for the list of questions I had prepared. Laughing at my still-developing journalistic skills, Boilen suggests that I pass by his office the next day for a more conventional interview. In the meantime, he suggests that I write about how much fun the production staff has behind the scenes of an otherwise measured and informative program.

A few minutes after 6 p.m., when the show has completed its two-hour broadcast, I return to my desk and collect my thoughts. What I found to be an exciting, eventful and intensely paced day was perfectly ordinary to the ATC staff. I feel lucky to have had this insider's view, to have spent an entire day with the remarkably talented people who make All Things Considered -- afternoon companion to more than 11 million listeners across America.

My day shadowing the ATC staff provided me with anecdotes and fascinating facts to tell my friends the next time they ask about my internship at NPR.

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