Blogs

10 Plus 1: 'Early' Bird AP Charity Elder

By Hillary Profita

April 20, 2006 / 9:30 AM EDT / CBS News

(Charity Elder)

We haven't spent too much time in the "10 Plus 1" column talking to people at "The Early Show," so here's a chance to look at what it's like for one young associate producer, Charity Elder, to work behind the scenes at the show. She works mostly on breaking news stories, so she's got plenty of experience with heading out to all kinds of locations and convincing subjects to agree to interviews. Read on for more on what she's been doing at "The Early Show":

What do you do at CBS News?

I'm an associate producer for "The Early Show." I work primarily on breaking news stories - booking (which essentially means convincing people to do an on-camera interview) in our New York office and in the field.

What single issue should be covered more at CBS News?

I think that issues of race, class and inequality could be covered more effectively and proactively by national news outlets.

Give us a great behind the scenes story.

A part of my job includes travel. Because I work in breaking news I'm often asked to travel at the most unexpected times and I'm required to leave within a moment's notice. Last year there was a story about a pregnant woman who successfully fought off another woman who tried to kill her and take her unborn baby. I got the call on a Saturday morning from one of [the senior producers] and by the afternoon I was in Kentucky.
Usual routine for me, but when I got there the woman was no longer doing any interviews (and she had already spoken to our competition.) It took hours of talking to her family - standing in the rain outside their home and going over there more than once to convince her to do an interview on tape. One of the hardest aspects of my job is convincing someone to do an interview, but it's also the part I love the most because most people can be talked into it - you just have to find the right words to say.

Have you ever been assigned a story you objected to? How did you deal with it?

I've never been assigned a story I completely objected to. At the most I've felt that some stories didn't deserve air time.

If you were not in news, what would you be doing?

I would love to travel around the world and shoot/edit/produce my own documentaries about stories that really impact how people think and view the world. Other dream jobs (believe it or not) include being a massage therapist or sign language teacher.

Do you read blogs? If so, which ones? If not, what do you read on the Internet?

No - I like to stick to traditional avenues of getting my news.

What's the last really great book or movie you found?

The last really great book I read was Not Even A Hint by Joshua Harris - it changed my life and those of my friends for the better.

What is your first memory of TV news?

My first memory of TV news was watching the Challenger Shuttle accident in 1986. Another early memory was watching Gail King (Oprah's best friend) anchor the 5 p.m. newscasts for WFSB, the CBS affiliate in Hartford, CT. I must admit that I wanted to be just like her!

If you could change one thing about the profession of journalism, what would it be?

I'm pretty idealistic and I wish that our industry had only one focus - report the news! Adherence to ratings, the bottom line and shareholders hurts our credibility and it's not the reason I became a journalist.

Who is the most fascinating person you've covered and who is the biggest jerk?

I always find people who overcome seemingly insurmountable odds the most fascinating. In recent years I've had to cover a lot of hurricanes - from Dennis to Katrina and I'm always impressed by people who've lost everything and still have the will and gumption to rebuild their lives.
Another fascinating person is someone I talked to recently. A 5-year-old girl who publicly forgave a man who shot a bullet in her shoulder that resulted in paralysis from the chest down - the video of Kai Leigh Harriott sitting in her wheelchair smiling will bring you to tears.
The biggest jerk is well beloved by most Americans so he shall remain nameless - ignorance is bliss in this case! Let's just say he was so rude that his image is forever tarnished in my eyes!

Finally, a question from sabians, posted in the comments section: Have you ever watched the other network morning shows? And if so, how do you they compare or rate to "The Early Show"?

Yes, I watch the other network morning shows every day because it's important to know what your competition is or isn't doing. I think that in large part all three shows are very similar - our target audience and top stories are often the same.