I am a bit apprehensive about the 60 Minutes episode that will air on CBS this Sunday evening. Last winter I was called by Rome Hartman, producer of 60 Minutes, and asked if I could provide some background and history about the Yellowstone wolf reintroduction through the eyes of a hunter. (Still not sure where he got my name.) They were coming to Yellowstone to do a piece about wolves 20+ years after the reintroduction.
We talked for quite a while. When they came to Bozeman a few weeks later to do some research on the project, he asked me to meet him and his assistant producer, Sara, for breakfast. I gave him more details about the history of the reintroduction through the eyes of someone who spends a lot of time on this landscape and has been here the entire time that the reintroduced wolves have been here. He and Sara seemed surprised by some of what I mentioned.
Rome called me a few weeks later and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for the piece they were producing. I told him I would think about it. He wanted the perspective of a hunter for this piece.
I talked to a lot of folks I trust who have a background in news media. Some cautioned against it, explaining that when interviewed you have no control over the final product or the context in which your comments would be used. Some in the hunting world encouraged me to do it.
I thought about it long and hard. Eventually I decided to do it, knowing full well it carries a lot of risk. I drove to Mammoth and spent a couple hours in an interview with Bill Whitaker. Bill was a very good interviewer, obviously very experienced in his craft.
Rome emailed me this week to let me know the episode will air this Sunday, December 23rd. I have not seen a draft of the segment, as they do not allow that. I have no idea what context will be given or what/how comments will be used. Rome assures me that I have nothing to worry about. I hope he is right, as it is a big risk for someone in my position to put words on camera without any control over how the editors cut and paste the pieces together.
So, if this effort to speak on behalf of hunters results in my platforms being demolished by Monday morning, it has been a good run.
We talked for quite a while. When they came to Bozeman a few weeks later to do some research on the project, he asked me to meet him and his assistant producer, Sara, for breakfast. I gave him more details about the history of the reintroduction through the eyes of someone who spends a lot of time on this landscape and has been here the entire time that the reintroduced wolves have been here. He and Sara seemed surprised by some of what I mentioned.
Rome called me a few weeks later and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for the piece they were producing. I told him I would think about it. He wanted the perspective of a hunter for this piece.
I talked to a lot of folks I trust who have a background in news media. Some cautioned against it, explaining that when interviewed you have no control over the final product or the context in which your comments would be used. Some in the hunting world encouraged me to do it.
I thought about it long and hard. Eventually I decided to do it, knowing full well it carries a lot of risk. I drove to Mammoth and spent a couple hours in an interview with Bill Whitaker. Bill was a very good interviewer, obviously very experienced in his craft.
Rome emailed me this week to let me know the episode will air this Sunday, December 23rd. I have not seen a draft of the segment, as they do not allow that. I have no idea what context will be given or what/how comments will be used. Rome assures me that I have nothing to worry about. I hope he is right, as it is a big risk for someone in my position to put words on camera without any control over how the editors cut and paste the pieces together.
So, if this effort to speak on behalf of hunters results in my platforms being demolished by Monday morning, it has been a good run.
