Friday, May. 09, 2008
New York Times journalist visits
Local high school grad talks about his career
By Corey Pride / cpride@losbanosenterprise.com
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ReprintNew York Times White House Correspondent Steven Myers spoke to the Los Baños Rotary Club Tuesday.
The 1983 Los Baños High School graduate found time in his schedule to break away from visiting relatives and thank the rotary organization for setting him on a course that took him to locations around the world.
Myers, 42, said he remembers visiting rotary when he was in high school. Getting to know the organization eventually allowed him to seek his master's degree abroad.
"I like to tell people it was the best year of my life. It's been down hill since then," he said. "It really is not much of an exaggeration. It was the first time I had ever been overseas. To be able to go see a new culture, even though England is hardly the most exoctic culture in the world, just that experience to study abroad, meet people abroad, travel through Europe."
Myers spent time at some Central Valley newspapers, including a stint at the Enterprise and the Modesto Bee, before getting a job with the New York Times that resulted in him covering the Pentagon. Myers maintained his beat through the conflict in Bosnia during the 1990s. He then spent more than five years following Sept. 11 reporting on, and living in, Russia.
"My kids miss it and they keep wanting to go back. The youngest one basically only knew Russian. She was 4 when we went," he said.
Myers described Moscow as a cold and gloomy city. He said people there have developed a rough attitude similar to the one that has been attributed to New Yorkers through the years.
Professionally, since returning to America last year Myers has developed a better appreciation of the sometimes contentious relationship between the press and politicians.
"The New York Times seems to have a beef with President Bush and President Bush seems to have a beef with the New York Times. The thing I find coming back, especially from Russia, is it's good we can have that kind of disagreement," he said. "The media in Russia, for example, is completely blanked out. Everybody works for the state."
Rotarians asked Myers questions about Internet restrictions in Russia. Myers said the country is a much more open society than it had been in the past.
"There's never been as much exposure to the rest of the world," he said. "The restriction now is in the political sphere where politics and business meet. Stay out of politics and you'll be fine."
Myers was also asked about the state of U.S. media.
"One thing I've noticed coming back to Washington is it's very hard to have conversations that aren't highly partisan," he said. "People are going to have very strong opinions, but our guys are supposed to be in the middle and figure out what actually happened. I think people are still going to crave being able to find out what is going on in Iraq. They want to know, are we winning, are we losing?"
Myers said on their best day media present a clear picture of what's actually happening quite well.
He said he hopes it does not get to the point where conservatives only watch Fox News and liberals only watch CNN.
"I think it's really dangerous for us to say, 'all kidding aside, we are the liberal giants and we're going to crush all you conservatives,'" Myers said. "Where would that lead? What would that accomplish? As Bush does now, they'll just brush us off so whatever you say doesn't carry as much weight."
Myers was generally soft-spoken, but upfront while addressing the rotary club. He declined comment, however, when he was asked who he's supporting for president. Meyers said he was planning on covering the next administration no matter who gets elected, so he'd prefer not to answer the question.
Enterprise staff writer Corey Pride can be reached at 826-3831 ext. 106 or cpride@losbanosenterprise.com