Oral History Program Alex Soleberg Interviewed by Jackson White 20 June 2008 i Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah Alex Soleberg Interviewed by Jackson White 20 June 2008 Copyright © 2014 by Weber State University, Stewart Library ii Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. The reviewed and corrected transcripts are indexed, printed, and bound with photographs and illustrative materials as available. Archival copies are placed in University Archives. The Stewart Library also houses the original recording so researchers can gain a sense of the interviewee's voice and intonations. Project Description The Weber State College/University Student Projects have been created by students working with several different professors on the Weber State campus. The topics are varied and based on the student's interest or task for a specific assignment. These oral history assignments were created to help Weber State students learn the value and importance of recording public history and to benefit the expansion of the Weber State oral history collections. ____________________________________ Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account. It reflects personal opinion offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ____________________________________ Rights Management All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to the Stewart Library of Weber State University. No part of the manuscript may be published without the written permission of the University Librarian. Requests for permission to publish should be addressed to the Administration Office, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408. The request should include identification of the specific item and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Soleberg, Alex, an oral history by Jackson White, 20 June 2008, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, University Archives, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Abstract: This is an oral history interview with Alex Soleberg. It is being conducted on June 20, 2008 at a mutual friend’s home that evening. This interview concerns the life and views of student who is future career field is in media. The interviewer is Jackson White, also a student. JW: OK ma'am what is your name? AS: Alex Soleberg. JW: And what is your year in school? AS: I am a senior. JW: Are you really? AS: On my last semester, well in the fall will be my last semester. JW: So you will graduate in December? AS: Uh-huh. JW: What is your major? AS: It's Communications. JW: Do you have a minor? AS: No. My emphasis is electronic media. JW: Electronic Media? I'll have some good questions for you then. Ok, why did you choose Weber State? 1 AS: Because it was close to home and after looking around it seemed like they had the best program for what I wanted to go into. JW: Oh really? With the emphasis or just the communications program? AS: With the emphasis. JW: Ok let me skip my questions around. So you drive from home to school? AS: Uh-huh. JW: And how long does that take you? AS: It takes about twenty to thirty minutes depending on traffic and stuff. JW: Ok, do you go to school every day? AS: During the summer I just go once a week but during the fall I will go every day. JW: Every day huh? Doesn't gas kill you? AS: Yeah it does. JW: Yeah that's horrible, huh? What do you like about Weber besides it was your best option for your major? AS: That it's close to home. JW Sorry did I already ask you that? AS: No. I like the professors. They work with you easily and the classes are smaller. JW: I like that too. I like the exact same things. I like that the classes are smaller. Is there anything you don't like about it? 2 AS: It kind of feels like it's a commuter school, doesn't feel people are like... hangout and stuff or seem very friendly. JW: So it's like that even in the communication building then? AS: Yeah. Cause I have classes with everyone in my department so we are all kind of friends but outside of that. JW: Sorry. Are all of your classes in the same building? AS: No, because I have to take electives so I have gone in the Social Studies building and health building so I'm all over. JW: So you have noticed that no one talks to each other when you walk past. AS: Uh-huh. Yep. JW: Me too. Where do you park? AS: I was parking in the A2 lot. JW: You got an A-pass? How much did that cost? AS: It was $75 I don't know but now I don't have a parking pass for the summer so I just park on the street. JW: The A2 is that lot by the SS building or the one kind of up behind Building 3 and all those buildings? AS: It's right behind Building 3. That is where the communication building is so it worked out good. JW: So you go to school right now in the summer, during the day? Or is it a night class? 3 AS: It's a morning class, so during the day. JW: Does the construction effect you at all? AS: Yeah, it's a pain to park and to walk up to school. JW: What about on your building? They haven't done construction on your building but it's all around it right? AS: Yeah it’s hard to get anywhere else on campus like, the other day I had to go to the career services center and I had to walk forever around to get to it so. JW: Does it distract you during class? AS: Yes Building 3 is like right next to where they are building the new building so there is a lot of loud noises and stuff. JW: Do you think it will look good? Like do you support the construction they are doing or do you not care because you'll be graduated by the time it is all built? AS: I think it looks good. Like it really looks like it’s almost done. It looks good. I think it will look good for Weber but I don't really care right now. JW: Do you know why they built it? AS: No. JW: Yeah, me either. You mentioned earlier about your professors. Do you have favorites? Have you ever been to another school? AS: I went to Snow College. JW: Oh you went to Snow. How do they compare to Snow's professors? Is Snow similar to Weber? 4 AS: Kind of. It's a lot smaller. I think the professors are great at both schools. The classes are small, you were able to have one on one with the professors a lot. They knew you by name and stuff. I really liked that. JW: Do you have a favorite professor? AS: Probably my news advisor Terri… I really like her. JW: What was the last name? AS: Redout. JW: OK. Alright. I'm glad you are actually almost graduated because it means my next question will actually mean something. The most valuable thing you have learned up at Weber would be what? AS: Probably all of the stuff I have learned being a part of Weber State News because that is what I will actually be in my career so I actually know what I am doing when I get a job and stuff. I won’t just be blindsided and overwhelmed. JW: So you are a part of Weber State News? AS: Uh-huh. JW: That answers my next question. Are you in involved in the school? What do you do for the Weber State News? AS: Next semester I'll be a producer and anchor for a TV news show Studio 76. I'm a staff member and put the show together and stuff. JW: So you won’t be on camera though? AS: I will be on camera. 5 JW: Oh you will be on camera. Wait, producer? AS: And Anchor of it. JW: Ok. What is it? Because I've never heard of it really. The news program. AS: We do two news casts a week. They are thirty minute news casts. We have a set donated from KSL and everything. It's really good and professional looking and stuff so... JW: Where is this at? AS: It's in the library? JW: Where in the library? AS: Hidden in the back corner. It's called studio 76. If you go in the main doors and turn right there is a hallway. JW: The main doors that are the main doors now or the main doors that used to be the main doors? AS: The main doors that used to be the main doors. JW: Ok got ya, so it's on the bottom floor? AS: Yeah, you turn right and there are two hallways and you can either go straight or down and it's just back in that corner. JW: I have actually been down there to visit the Weber State Archives and Special Collections. AS: Yep. It’s right down by that. 6 JW: Oh is it? AS: Yeah. JW: I wish I would have known that before. Like you said, you are going to be a producer and an anchor. Have you worked with them already? Is this your first....? AS: No. With Weber State News I haven't been a staff member, which is you get paid to do it and be there a lot more and stuff but everyone still, you know it takes every person to put the news cast on and everything so I have had a chance to anchor and produce stories. We do all of our stories and produce everything so you don't have to be a staff member to know how to do it. JW: Out of the jobs you have done, which one is your favorite? AS: I like to anchor. I like to be on camera. JW: Is this because this is a future goal? AS: Uh-huh. JW: You want to be a news caster? AS: Uh-huh. JW: For who? AS: I don't know. My dream would be like Dateline. JW: Really? Oh shoot! AS: I don't know if I'll get there but... JW: Dateline, like what's his name...Chris Hansen? 7 AS: Uh-huh. JW: To Catch A Predator. AS: More like Barbara Walters. JW: Yeah. Wow! Can you describe a typical day? Maybe not a summer day but like a typical, you-have-regular-classes day for you? AS: I usually get there in the morning. My news class starts at 10:00 a.m. that was usually my first class. On Mondays we have to put together story ideas and depending on how many credits we take depends on how many stories we do a week so. JW: Explain that. AS: Last semester I only did one credit so I only had to do one story a week during news cast and if you had two or three credits you would have to do two stories so like one per show. JW: So you get like a school credit? Like a class credit? AS: Uh-huh. Yeah it's a class. But you can take it for one credit two credits or three credits. And you can keep taking it for three semesters if you want. JW: So that is three stories per week not per show or one story per week. AS: Yeah, and then I would go to my other classes and if I didn't have work I would check out a camera, go do my news story. You have to film it, interview people, edit it, everything all by yourself, or if you have someone help you. JW: Where did you check out your camera? AS: It’s in the Weber State news. 8 JW: They just loan it to you? AS: Uh-huh. JW: Are they just like little hand held ones? AS: Uh-huh. We have tri pods and stuff.... JW: You got any stories you want to tell me about your stories? Have you done any lately? When did you take this class? AS: It was in the spring so it’s been a while since I've done a story. I'm trying to think what the last one was....I did one story last spring that one was on, there is a pathway from the library to one of the parking lots past the, I can't remember what building, but it's really dark at night and there is no light. So I did a story on how dark it is and how it is not safe and stuff like that. JW: Did you have to take your camera there at night? AS: Uh-huh. JW: Did you have someone with you? AS: Yeah I had my brother come with me. JW: Then you get to report on it like on the news? They will be like “This is our anchor, Alex.” AS: It depends. You can do an on-set which is that you are on the set and you talk about your story then they play the story. Or you can just do standup where you are in the video of it talking. Or the Anchor will just say "Alex Soleberg reports da-da-da,” then 9 they show the story. It just depends on how you want to do it and how the producers want it put in their show. JW: So, how much time would you spend doing school work per day or per week? I guess you would go per week doing homework or stories. AS: I would say a lot because stories take at least two days to do. You have to go interview people, film, you have to get a lot D roll, which is just shooting a story, like around construction you have to get cars driving and people working and you have to go and edit it so it's a lot of work. JW: Yes, it sounds like a lot of work. Are you able to work during the school year? AS: Yeah. JW: So you can have a job and go to class? Are you taking full time, like twelve credit hours per semester? AS: Yeah. Last semester I took twelve or fourteen. JW: And you are still able to work? That is impressive. Alright, we are getting into a little deeper questions. I am writing a thesis paper on the media's role during presidential scandals. You have a scandal and the media's role on public opinion. As a communications major who is going into the media, do you think the media has a big role on public opinion? AS: Yes I do. JW: Do you think that it's the media's job to portray the truth or to get more like entertainment? 10 AS: I think it's important to portray the truth. JW: So that's what they emphasis over entertainment? AS: Yes. JW: In all fields? Because obviously there are tabloids and stuff and they are for entertainment. AS: There are entertainment aspects of it so obviously they would be more into entertaining than the truth. But the straight up news you know, we just get the story to you know, inform the public, not to try and make an opinion but I think some stations are more conservative or more liberal so they are obviously going to make an opinion the way they present their stories. JW: As a historian, especially in this investigating history class we've learned a lot about to question your resources and to really do a thorough background check. Are you guys supposed to do that or can you just take the top layer and make a story out of it? Are you guys supposed to go way in depth? AS: Well, with Weber State News we don't really do anything way in depth, but we've learned it's very important to make sure your sources are correct and that everything we present is true because you don't want it to come back on you or your station so I think it's really important to make sure of that. JW: Have you ever talked about objectivity in the media? Obviously you can't be completely, or you are always going to have some biased or some personal put into to you story like maybe that why you choose them or something like that. Were you taught to be straight down the line not taking either side? 11 AS: Yeah. JW: You guys are taught to do that? AS: Yeah, uh-huh. JW: Ok. I am just curious. This will help me out in my paper. Do you have any thoughts on how you think the media effects public opinion of the most recent and obvious scandal is the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal? Do you think the media played a role on public opinion of him? AS: I'm sure they do because they were giving stories of the negative side of him and stuff and what they were showing so obviously that's going to form people's opinions if they are only showing negative. If you are going to show negative you need to show positive also. JW: And how do you determine, it is just...it’s kind of back to another question. Most people want the negative, they could care less about the positive. Not that you guys strive for it but when you find it is that something you get excited for like "Yay I found the negative." Instead of “Bill Clinton is such a good guy.” AS: No. I think it's mostly… we do our stories based on a lot what people are focusing on at the time or what they are talking about and that's where we go. I think it depends on the person doing the story. Do they put their own personal twist to it to make it your own personal story that is different from someone doing the same story on a different station? JW: Is that a good thing? To put your own personal twist on it? 12 AS: I think it depends. If it's a personal twist to it that is a personal bias then it's not good but if you are doing it in a way that is still just informing the public but maybe switching up interviews, asking different questions, things like that then I think that would be better. JW: Ok. We are about done I think. You got to pick your stories right? AS: Uh-huh. JW: Do you have any....like you said you want to be on Dateline and they have some really tough interviews so I am sure you want to switch me places right now. Rather be the interviewer instead the interviewee. Is there any stories that intrigue you or subjects that intrigue you? AS: Yeah, I think the big investigative reports and like the big murders and stuff has always intrigued me but... JW: You want to be the one who interviews the guy they busted? AS: Uh-huh. I think that would be cool. Or do investigative work to help bust him. JW: Ok. So would you rather be an investigative reporter or an anchor woman? AS: I don't know. I think an investigative reporter would be more fun. It would be. JW: More exciting? AS: More exciting. An everyday anchor would just kind of be the same thing every day. JW: I am sure that it's different for you being a student but do you know how much, do you know a lot about the professional anchor and reporters? AS: A little bit. 13 JW: How much of their own work do they do? Like Barbara Walters, does she sit down and write her own questions or does she have writers who write her questions? AS: I'm not sure with the national news. They would probably have writers I would bet. JW: So she has it pretty easy. She just reads the questions. AS: You have to work up to her position so you have done all the stuff by the time you are in her shoes. I would assume she probably has writers. JW: Yeah I would assume that too. I sure she still has to be like very knowledgeable about the subject in case it takes a turn somewhere. AS: Because she doesn't know how people are going to answer questions and things like that so. JW: Do they teach you to stay focused? AS: Yeah. I think it mostly comes through practice. Just doing it. You know your first story is horrible and then you learn from it. JW: I ask because when I write papers I have a hard time. Like I'll get off on a tangent and the rest of my paper is about that and I have to try and… it's difficult. So I can see an interview being even worse because you are trying to be personal with a person instead of just reading questions. Alright, any closing comments? AS: I don't think so. JW: Well thank you very much. AS: You're welcome. 14 JW: This will be submitted to the Weber State Special Collections and I'll have to have you sign a release form and I will get that. Other than that thank you for your time I appreciate it you have helped me out a lot. And it actually worked out really well because you are going into media. What was it, electronic Media? AS: Yeah. JW: Ok let me not finish then real quick. Is that TV? AS: Uh-huh. It's TV, radio is in there radio station is part of that and I think that is it? JW: Do you work with the Weber State radio station? AS: I don't. It's 88.1. A lot of people who are on Weber State News are part of the radio station but I have never done the radio station. JW: As far a journalism goes is that an interest or do you work with that when you write stories or do you just film and...? AS: You have to write your script for the anchors to read and you have to write your script for your story. You have to write down what the interviewer said and things like that so there is a lot of writing. JW: Does any of that go to the Newspaper the Sign Post. AS: No not usually. JW: They are separate. Is that a separate major or emphasis? AS: I think so because electronic media is just radio and TV and they are just print. JW: Ok. Alright. Well thank you Alex I appreciate it. 15