How to start your journey as a journalist? Larry King Why The Journalist's Way is Worth Reading

Larry King wouldn't be Larry King if he wrote so boringly. The autobiography of an interview genius is something like this: “I was a hooligan, I was a bad guy, but I was damn lucky all my life.” Larry King was always in the right place at the right time. He crashed into the car of future President Kennedy and got away with a promise to vote only for Kennedy. While working at a small radio station in Miami, I managed to interview the great Sinatra, who did not give interviews at all. I bet my last money on a horse whose odds were 70 to 1, and... won $8,000. This is all Larry King, whose biography is more like an exciting adventure novel.

This is an honest and unvarnished story about the life of a simple guy from Brooklyn who is well acquainted with all US presidents, starting with Richard Nixon. This is the story of a man who was friends with Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando and Nancy Reagan. This is the biography of Larry King, whose show changed television into what it is today.

Translator M. Kulneva

Editor M. Savina

Project Manager M. Shalunova

Technical editor N. Lisitsyna

Corrector O. Ilyinskaya

Computer layout A. Fominov

Cover design L. Benchousha

© Larry King, 2009.

First published by Weinstein Books, USA

© Publication in Russian, translation, design. Alpina Publisher LLC, 2015

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic copy of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet or corporate networks, for private or public use without the written permission of the copyright owner.

To the women in my life:

to my wife Shawn Southwick-King, who earned a Purple Heart in peacetime,

and Wendy Walker, my executive producer and friend

There is no greater joy than fatherhood because of what it brings. It gave me Andy, Larry Jr., Huy, Chance and Cannon. They are my life

It's a strange thing - memories. It happens that you remember what happened to you half a century ago, but at the same time you forget where you had lunch yesterday.

And most importantly, the longer you live, the more memories you have. So it is quite logical that a person at thirty has a better memory than at seventy-five. I have over seventy-five years of memories. Yesterday another day was added to them. A new one will be added today.

Sometimes memories can be brought back to life with photographs. But sometimes they themselves turn into memories. JFK Jr. and I were once talking about his famous childhood photograph of him, three years old, saluting at his father's funeral. He didn't remember what it was like in reality, he only remembered the photograph. He saw her more than once throughout his life. And the photograph turned into a memory.

Stories, like photographs, can also preserve memories. True, sometimes they can correct them. When telling a story from life, you are sure to correct real events. How else? You may forget what exactly the phrase was said, and replace it with another one you came up with, which may turn out to be more witty. And if your story makes your listeners laugh, you use this phrase the next time you tell the same story again. And after some time, your version of the story becomes the only one and is thus stored in memory.

And probably my memories contained in this book do not correspond exactly to how my life happened. Many of them are peppered with humor. However, essentially everything here is correct.

Sometimes I get upset because I can't remember something. Like in that joke: “I just read a wonderful book “Ten Steps to Perfect Memory”, I wrote it... well, this one, what’s his name... But I never forget jokes and funny incidents. My sense of humor has not betrayed me yet. I remember everything I laughed at, even as a child. And it seems to me that it’s the jokes and funny incidents that I will remember until the very end, even if I forget everything else.

If you only know me from CNN, this may surprise you. But if I hadn’t gone into television journalism, I most likely would have become a comedian. To this day, I get the most pleasure if I manage to make someone laugh.

Memories are all we have. If you lose them, you will be left with nothing. But the best of them are those who are touched by a joke.

This book is not limited to just my memories. There are also memories of my family and friends - those who know me best. And they will probably contain something that I would never say about myself. But to complete the image they are necessary. I won't look at them until the book is published. I don't want to edit anyone and dictate to people what to say.

As funny as it may be, it is possible that when I open the book I will be as surprised as you are.

If you were to sit with me over breakfast at Nate ‘n Al Deli, you would look at me with completely different eyes. First of all, I go there without braces. Secondly, you would know that I hate eggs. And thirdly, you would have to imagine me in the trunk of a car, because sooner or later the story about the “interview of the century” would surface.

This happened not long ago. There was one producer on my show - I'll call him Bob. In general, a good guy, but too impulsive. One day some bigwig from CNN International called him:

"Bean! Something incredible is coming!”

Bob immediately became worried:

"What? What? What's happened?"

"There is an opportunity to interview Osama bin Laden."

“No shit!”

Bob's reaction is understandable. US intelligence agencies have been trying to find bin Laden since September 11, 2001. It was difficult to think of a more amazing television interview, except perhaps a meeting with aliens.

“You will need to go to Pakistan.”

Bob almost choked with excitement.

“But the interview will take place under certain conditions. You and Larry will fly to a remote area. The film crew will not be with you. We do not have the right to bring our own equipment. They will provide us with a film crew. And sound engineers. And translators. And they will record it themselves. And when the interview is over, they will give us the tape. These are their conditions.

And one more thing. In Pakistan, you and Larry will be driven by car to a specific location. Then you will get out of the car, and you, Bob, will remain waiting in place, and Larry will be put in the trunk of another car to be driven to Osama. There is no other way. They cannot allow anyone to even guess where he is.

Larry will do the interview. He will receive the recording, then climb into the trunk again. The car will return to the place where you will wait for it. You and Larry will get back on the plane and fly home."

By the end of the conversation, Bob was already shaking with excitement. He really wanted to do this interview of the century, but at the same time he was terribly worried about the possible consequences: Larry has already undergone several heart surgeries. What if something happens to him while he's riding in the trunk? What if he gets killed? Or will they be taken hostage? And me too? But how can you miss such a chance!

Bob called his mother.

“Mom, tell me what to do?”

The mother became interested:

“How long will Larry have to sit in the trunk?”

"They didn't say."

Bob was just going crazy. He got everyone. He became so excited that he could no longer control himself. My executive producer, Wendy Walker, finally had to tell him it was an April Fool's joke, otherwise Bob would simply go crazy or kill someone.

In fact, if Bob had stopped by Nate 'n Al Deli for breakfast, he would have immediately realized that there was absolutely no need to be so nervous. George, who usually occupies a seat on the edge, would have explained everything to him. “Before you can ask Larry if he wants to go, he’ll already be in the trunk,” George might have told him. “And I bet that when Larry gets ready to head back, Osama will climb into the trunk with him to continue the conversation.”

Of course, this is an exaggeration. But one thing I can say for sure: a request to ride in the trunk would not surprise me. I would rather perceive it as something ordinary. Unless I would ask myself the same question that has been spinning in my head for five decades: What am I doing here?

These words describe my whole life.

Where to go, where to go? This question worries every novice journalist. He worried me too. I started with a sports newspaper, which pulled me into journalism up to my ears. It didn’t take long to publish, but a start was made. After two weeks of working with a sports publication, I started looking for some kind of youth publication - all due to a lack of experience.

Why youth? Most aspiring journalists are still at this age and want to write about their peers or about events that you attend or want to go to. So I wrote about exhibitions, museums, parties, and I advise you to start with this. When you understand the essence of the matter even a little, then you can write something serious, but for this you will need time.

One of my serious materials, which I sent to the most popular newspaper in the country, took me about a month. Sometimes even this was not enough. Because if you bring them something raw, they will send you for revision, and so on until you show the whole problem from all sides.

After a couple of weeks, I found two suitable youth publications and began writing for them. Surprisingly, articles began to appear, which means there was an incentive to write and write more and more. Therefore, the first piece of advice is to start writing for youth publications, so you won’t ruin yourself in journalism. Everyone started from the bottom. Moscow was not built right away.

After sitting for hours at the keyboard, I still collected the required amount of materials and even a couple of dozen more. Tip two - if only five materials are required for admission, then don’t stop there.

When you get your hands on in the youth press, go to city publications. At one time, before entering the faculty, I was published in seven publications of various types, which gave me a little experience in preparing for a creative interview. Tip three - you won’t be published in one publication every day, so it’s worth getting into any newspaper and writing about everything you see.

Minsk is not as big as Moscow, but you will have to run around to get materials. Especially if it's an interview. In this genre, the main thing is to intrigue the reader from the very title to the bitter end. But in the everyday bustle, you may, having come up with questions for a certain period, not have time to coordinate the release of material or a meeting with the interviewee. Tip four - you need to keep a diary and, at least a little, fill it with telephone numbers, addresses, dates of publication of materials and deadlines for their delivery.

If you are planning to write problematic material, do not rush. Any defect can immediately ruin the editorial team’s opinion of you. In order not to make a mistake right away, it is best to consolidate problematic material with comments from specialists from city authorities, then your words will be confirmed. By writing only your opinion, you risk being neatly “trimmed” or “truncated.” They will remove all the water from your material, but also a couple of paragraphs that don’t say much about anything. There will only be a couple of lines and a few dots left.

But don't be discouraged. Always in the city, even walking along the central streets, you can gather material for an article, therefore, you should not chase sensations or page publications, but just start writing from the heart, this is what you need to start from.

We have already taken our first steps, as babies do, and we will continue our journey to the doors of the faculty we dream about and are trying with all our might to make the dream come true.

During my school years, when I was finishing the ninth and tenth grades, a short and thin aunty postman would throw only two newspapers into my mailbox. My parents took them out and read them, but I just looked at the pictures.

But after just a year. After graduating from tenth grade, I read a newspaper from cover to cover for the first time. Liked? NO, but a start has been made. In September, right after my birthday, as a kind of gift, without choosing it, I began to take my first steps towards journalism.

Under the light of a car lamp, with a black pen, on sheets of protocols from past competitions, I wrote the first material. Arriving home, I immediately reprinted it and sent it to several newspapers at once. The first mistake is never send material to several newspapers at once. (Journalistic ethics)

As I already said, my first newspaper, which opened the doors to the world of journalism, was sports and quite serious. The second mistake is don’t rush into serious publications, you don’t have enough experience. It’s rare that someone manages to immediately show off their talent and start publishing in the most prestigious newspapers. Many people have a talent for writing, but it is not always revealed - it needs to be collected piece by piece, which newspapers and books should contribute to.

Having decided to enroll in the Faculty of Journalism, you should not only keep your desire within yourself, but in every possible way contribute to its implementation. The year I applied, almost everyone was accepted for a paid job, even those who didn’t have publications or a good answer in a creative interview. Year after year does not happen, so you need to work - it will be rewarded.

In order not to come empty-handed, start reading newspapers - preferably high-quality press. From it you can take many examples suitable for answering at an interview. The third mistake is that the yellow press is not for the journalism department, but for entertainment. Do not take material from yellow publications under any circumstances. Firstly, there are a lot of newspaper canards, and secondly, people sitting on the selection committee don’t really like it when they are told “I collaborated with Komsomolskaya Pravda.”

In order to somehow systematize reading newspapers, I advise you to write down facts from interesting materials, and after reading the interview, “collect” the questions you liked in a separate notebook.

By reading newspapers, you immediately discover enormous opportunities for writing creative essays. Facts, events, biographies of people, memories - all this is in newspapers, and all this may be needed in an essay. For example, if the topic is “My first publication,” then you won’t be able to write anything other than personal experience. So? But why not write about the first publication of some famous journalist and compare it with your own. And if the topic comes across “Through the pages of my favorite publication,” then you can’t do without reading newspapers? Although, with a little imagination, you can come up with a publication, but there is nothing better than describing what you saw and read.

You shouldn't stop at newspapers. Before admission, you need to have time not just to look through, but to read and copy out what you need from several books on journalism. We were offered D. Randall “Universal Journalist”, A. Tertychny “Genres of Periodical Press” and the law on the press. If it’s not enough, then you can also read everything else that catches your eye. And the highlighted books will help you understand the genre system of journalism and show some examples of the work of journalists.

At this point, another step has been taken and the result is this: we began to publish in the youth press, we began to read newspapers and collect facts for the “Creativity” exam in our own piggy bank.

I think this is how any journalist should start. It will be interesting and productive.

He was married eight times to seven women. Four children from three wives.

Awards and honorary titles

Bibliography

• My Remarkable Journey, 2009
• The People's Princess: Cherished Memories of Diana, Princess of Wales, From Those Who Knew Her Best, 2007
• My Dad and Me: A Heartwarming Collection of Stories About Fathers from a Host of Larry’s Famous Friends, 2006
• Taking on Heart Disease: Famous Personalities Recall How They Triumphed Over the Nation’s #1 Killer and How You Can, Too, 2004
• Remember Me When I'm Gone: The Rich and Famous Write Their Own Epitaphs and Obituaries, 2004
• Love Stories of World War II, 2002
• Anything Goes! : What I’ve Learned from Pundits, Politicians, and Presidents, 2000
• Powerful Prayers: Conversations on Faith, Hope, and the Human Spirit with Today’s Most Provocative People, 1999
• Future Talk: Conversations About Tomorrow with Today’s Most Provocative Personalities, 1998
• Daddy Day, Daughter Day, 1997
• The Best of Larry King Live: The Greatest Interviews, 1995
• How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication, 1995
• When Your From Brooklyn: Child Art, 1994
• On the Line: The New Road to the White House, 1993
• Tell Me More, 1992
• Tell It To The King, 1989
• Larry King, 1984

Books in Russian

• Larry King What am I doing here? Journalist's path = My Remarkable Journey. - M.: "Alpina Publisher", 2010. - 290 p. -