TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE
Fox Business Network reporter Adam Shapiro has been in Japan during the past few days, reporting live as the country struggles to overcome the disaster of the earthquake and tsunami that struck it last week.
Shapiro, who joined the network in September 2007 shortly before its launch, has been primarily covering the business news angles of the disaster.
Shapiro was previously a general assignment reporter in New York for WNBC-TV morning show Today in New York, covering all aspects of New York City. He also occasionally provided reports for the early evening and nightly newscasts. Before joining WNBC-TV, Shapiro was the anchor of WEWS-TV (ABC) Emmy Award-winning morning show “Good Morning Cleveland” and the early evening newscast “Live on Five.”
Today, he’s reporting live from Yamagata which is just 40 miles west of the hardest hit city of Sendai, Japan. Shapiro, who is normally based in Washington, talked about covering the business news angle of the natural disaster by e-mail with Talking Biz News. What follows is an edited transcript.
How difficult is it covering a natural disaster from a business perspective?
There is always a business angle. For instance here in Japan in some of the small towns we have visited gas stations and convenient stores are packed. They are rationing supplies so there is an angle regarding supply, demand and the reality of trying to obtain the necessities to make it through the day.
How are you finding your stories?
A good story demands attention and demands a viewer to focus on the issue at hand. I look for different kinds of stories that in some cases possess universal themes such as triumph over adversity, hope over despair and my personal favorite people who claim their identity and follow their own path. Here in Japan we have met all kinds of people in dire circumstances.
There was the hotel operator who instead of raising prices to gauge potential refugees was actually dropping prices because he had no water. There was the American-born school teacher who decided to leave Tokyo with his family because he doesn’t trust the Japanese government to get a grasp on the nuclear situation. Everyone has a story, I look for the elements that set the story apart from others.
What are the difficulties in covering stories when there is so much devastation?
Situations like this are difficult because in addition to covering the devastation you have to plan every move carefully. There are horribly long lines for gas (several hours wait), and they are rationing gasoline. That would normally limit our ability to travel and cover the story. But my producer obtained a police pass that gives us access to expressways that are now closed to the public. On these expressways there is gasoline to be purchased so we are mobile.
We also buy dried foods and water in bulk wherever we go because there are no restaurants, and markets are packed with citizens stocking up. Or course we also had to be aware of the nuclear exclusion zone. We moved within 50 kilometers of the four reactors that might melt down. The zone starts 30 kilometers from the plant, and we would not move any closer, but again you have to be aware at all times where you are.
We have contacted several of the major international companies, but the small business person is also a story worth covering. At this point we are still trying to get our hands around the disaster itself after which we can concentrate on the pure business angles.
Are you having any down time?
There is no down time whatsoever. We are 13 hours ahead of New York. Our Day starts at 9 a.m. local, 8 p.m. New York. We spend the day shooting stories and gathering information. At 6 p.m. local, 5 a.m. New York, we begin broadcasting. We finish broadcasting at 2 a.m. local, 1 p.m. New York. These are long days, but the job we have to do is important and it is also an honor to be trusted with the responsibility to deliver.
How long does the network plan to cover the story?
The network will cover this story as long as is necessary.
Are there any business angles that aren’t being covered?
I am not sure about angles that are not being covered.
Why is this such a big story?
This natural disaster is evolving into a man-made disaster because of the four nuclear reactors that are in danger of catastrophic meltdown. Nothing like this has ever happened before. The disaster itself is not over… Japan is still in the middle of a nightmare that has yet to end.
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So rent-a-reporter Shapiro parachutes in and, without speaking a word of Japanese, purports to be reporting from Yamagata--FORTY MILES west of Sendai?! And who does he interview: a hotel clerk and "an American-born school teacher." That's scoop material if I ever saw it. Is it any wonder Adam says he's "not sure about angles that are not being covered"? Nope, no story here folks...
How about asking a REAL reporter based in Japan, who speaks Japanese, about the story?