Grady Judd Speaks – some more!
by Kemp Brinson
I just listened to the latest installment of the Ledger’s podcast which consisted of a 2-hour interview with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. I highly recommend that you give it a listen. It’s also on iTunes – search for The Ledger.
Sheriff Judd is one of those people that, love him or hate him, you know exactly where he stands. The picture of Sheriff Judd that we see on television can leave one with a sense that our good Sheriff is a bit, shall we say, spontaneous.
I love radio and podcasting. I probably listen to 2-3 hours of podcasts a day, mostly while commuting, running, and doing odd jobs around the house. A microphone, because of its unintrusiveness, provides a much more intimate and relaxed interview setting than a television camera. The lengthy audio interview, without the cameras, gives one the sense of sitting down with Sheriff Judd and having a one-on-one conversation. I wouldn’t mind having lunch with him to pick his brain some more.
My own picture of him was informed considerably by the interview, which presents a very bright, motivated, intelligent, and down-to-earth leader, less a vigilante than fiendishly devoted, almost wonkish kind of guy. He’s clearly a skilled politician, as much as he would like to convince us that he is a reluctant one. But he’s a politician who knows how to run a really tight ship.
He is often criticized for the amount of time he spends in front of a camera. That has never bothered me as much as a handful of the things he has said while there. This interview provides a nice contrast to that image. Check it out.
Before you do, be advised that I have some tips for the Ledger, from a devoted podcast addict, that I would have thought would be common sense for the professional media:
1. Have a quality microphone for everyone, not just the interviewee.
2. Do a better job of featuring the podcast on your website.
3. It sounded like the interviewee may have been eating…!?
4. The podcast introduction needs to be snazzed up a bit.
Another warning – it’s a REALLY long, low-key, rambling discussion. Some may lose interest 5 minutes in. I ate it up. Your mileage may vary.
