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| Keep Calm and Listen to Brian Lehrer | Keep Calm and Listen to Brian Lehrer |
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| Brian Lehrer was having difficulty. He was doing his daily radio show from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak. There was a little dead air, and he disconnected a congressman just as he was about to make a point. | Brian Lehrer was having difficulty. He was doing his daily radio show from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak. There was a little dead air, and he disconnected a congressman just as he was about to make a point. |
| “Whoops,” he said gently. | “Whoops,” he said gently. |
| But even under the circumstances — a pandemic in a city on the verge of lockdown — he was the calming presence he’s always been. “Remember that most of us, and most of our loved ones, are going to be fine,” he started the show on the day the city closed the schools. “But the Russian roulette aspect of this, the randomness of this, is very real. So let’s look it in the eye, and move on together.” | But even under the circumstances — a pandemic in a city on the verge of lockdown — he was the calming presence he’s always been. “Remember that most of us, and most of our loved ones, are going to be fine,” he started the show on the day the city closed the schools. “But the Russian roulette aspect of this, the randomness of this, is very real. So let’s look it in the eye, and move on together.” |
| Among his fans, he can do no wrong. He is a cross between Tom Brokaw and Mister Rogers. He is the high school social studies teacher we all wish we had. He is, in the words of the City Council speaker of New York, “your super smart, approachable uncle who you respect and admire, and who always knows way more on every single issue than you would possibly expect.” | Among his fans, he can do no wrong. He is a cross between Tom Brokaw and Mister Rogers. He is the high school social studies teacher we all wish we had. He is, in the words of the City Council speaker of New York, “your super smart, approachable uncle who you respect and admire, and who always knows way more on every single issue than you would possibly expect.” |
| Aidy Bryant, the “Saturday Night Live” actress who introduced him at a public radio gala in Manhattan last year, admits to being star-struck only twice in her career: once when she met Prince, and once when she met Brian Lehrer. | Aidy Bryant, the “Saturday Night Live” actress who introduced him at a public radio gala in Manhattan last year, admits to being star-struck only twice in her career: once when she met Prince, and once when she met Brian Lehrer. |
| Lots of large cities have local news radio figures, like Michael Krasny on KQED in the Bay Area, or Larry Mantle on KPCC in Los Angeles. But to the thousands of New Yorkers who listen to The Brian Lehrer Show five days a week at 10 a.m., our local news radio host is equal parts civic treasure and municipal therapist. | Lots of large cities have local news radio figures, like Michael Krasny on KQED in the Bay Area, or Larry Mantle on KPCC in Los Angeles. But to the thousands of New Yorkers who listen to The Brian Lehrer Show five days a week at 10 a.m., our local news radio host is equal parts civic treasure and municipal therapist. |
| And he’s been at it for some time: Listeners have tuned in to the Lehrer show on WNYC for local and national politics, current events and social issues for the past three decades — through the Central Park Five trial, the Sept. 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis, the rise of Black Lives Matter, Hurricane Sandy, the 2016 election and now the coronavirus pandemic. | And he’s been at it for some time: Listeners have tuned in to the Lehrer show on WNYC for local and national politics, current events and social issues for the past three decades — through the Central Park Five trial, the Sept. 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis, the rise of Black Lives Matter, Hurricane Sandy, the 2016 election and now the coronavirus pandemic. |
| Mr. Lehrer begins each show focusing on a topic in the news (Brexit, gentrification, the presidential primary), providing accessible interviews with authors, politicians, actors, journalists, or the occasional Sesame Street character (Elmo once explained Hurricane Sandy to children). | Mr. Lehrer begins each show focusing on a topic in the news (Brexit, gentrification, the presidential primary), providing accessible interviews with authors, politicians, actors, journalists, or the occasional Sesame Street character (Elmo once explained Hurricane Sandy to children). |
| But it’s after the interview that the show really begins, when Mr. Lehrer opens the phone lines to listeners, allowing them to hold forth on a bevy of issues, from the hyperlocal (rezoning in their neighborhood, tension in the school district, a late-arriving Access-a-Ride) to the national (why people should stop buying single-use plastics). Topics flow from the wonky (an explainer on early voting) to the whimsical (“Does the New York accent still exist?”). | But it’s after the interview that the show really begins, when Mr. Lehrer opens the phone lines to listeners, allowing them to hold forth on a bevy of issues, from the hyperlocal (rezoning in their neighborhood, tension in the school district, a late-arriving Access-a-Ride) to the national (why people should stop buying single-use plastics). Topics flow from the wonky (an explainer on early voting) to the whimsical (“Does the New York accent still exist?”). |
| For the past few weeks, he has been covering the coronavirus pandemic closely, dedicating segments to discussions with doctors, politicians, teachers and a very informed audience. It has been something of a challenge for Mr. Lehrer. | For the past few weeks, he has been covering the coronavirus pandemic closely, dedicating segments to discussions with doctors, politicians, teachers and a very informed audience. It has been something of a challenge for Mr. Lehrer. |
| “After 9/11, at least people could come together and support each other in their fears and in their grief,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a situation where there’s a need to support each other and isolate each other at the same time.” | “After 9/11, at least people could come together and support each other in their fears and in their grief,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a situation where there’s a need to support each other and isolate each other at the same time.” |
| Unable to move around freely, people are spending more time on their devices, getting news and misinformation from social media, which doesn’t help Mr. Lehrer’s cause: trying to keep his community calm, and together. | Unable to move around freely, people are spending more time on their devices, getting news and misinformation from social media, which doesn’t help Mr. Lehrer’s cause: trying to keep his community calm, and together. |
| Brian Lehrer was born in 1952, and grew up in Bayside, Queens, which he calls a relatively homogeneous place: most people were “white, Jewish and middle class.” But the calm of the neighborhood was shattered by the tumult of the late 1960s. | Brian Lehrer was born in 1952, and grew up in Bayside, Queens, which he calls a relatively homogeneous place: most people were “white, Jewish and middle class.” But the calm of the neighborhood was shattered by the tumult of the late 1960s. |
| People around him were in turmoil over whether they were going to go to Vietnam. “I had a high draft number,” said Mr. Lehrer, 67, by way of explaining his ability to look at the issue dispassionately. | People around him were in turmoil over whether they were going to go to Vietnam. “I had a high draft number,” said Mr. Lehrer, 67, by way of explaining his ability to look at the issue dispassionately. |
| “If you grow up in that kind of environment, where the global issue of the time connects to your personal sense of safety and commitment — people in my circles basically didn’t think the war was right — that’s probably how a lot of people got interested in the news at that time.” | “If you grow up in that kind of environment, where the global issue of the time connects to your personal sense of safety and commitment — people in my circles basically didn’t think the war was right — that’s probably how a lot of people got interested in the news at that time.” |
| A radio devotee even in childhood — his first radio experience was as a summer camp D.J. — Mr. Lehrer graduated from SUNY Albany with degrees in music and mass communications, the latter designed around his D.J. shifts at the college radio station. After graduating in 1973, he got an offer at a rock ’n’ roll station in Albany; Lehrer accepted the job as long as he could open the phone lines on Sundays between midnight and 3 a.m. to host a talk show. | A radio devotee even in childhood — his first radio experience was as a summer camp D.J. — Mr. Lehrer graduated from SUNY Albany with degrees in music and mass communications, the latter designed around his D.J. shifts at the college radio station. After graduating in 1973, he got an offer at a rock ’n’ roll station in Albany; Lehrer accepted the job as long as he could open the phone lines on Sundays between midnight and 3 a.m. to host a talk show. |
| He replicated this practice at stations in Columbus, Ohio, and Norfolk, Va., and managed to get two master’s degrees — one in journalism, from Ohio State University, and one in public health, from Columbia, eventually ending up as a freelance journalist. Then, in the late ’80s, WNYC asked him to audition for a news program they were putting together. | He replicated this practice at stations in Columbus, Ohio, and Norfolk, Va., and managed to get two master’s degrees — one in journalism, from Ohio State University, and one in public health, from Columbia, eventually ending up as a freelance journalist. Then, in the late ’80s, WNYC asked him to audition for a news program they were putting together. |
| At the time, the bedrock of public radio was newsmagazine shows like “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” which were filled with authoritative, expert voices. | At the time, the bedrock of public radio was newsmagazine shows like “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” which were filled with authoritative, expert voices. |
| At his audition, Lehrer made it clear that he wanted to engage listeners more, taking questions from real people, instead of just listening to pundits spout responses to a host, to democratize the dialogue. He had become interested in this exchange, which often produced better policies, he said, while studying for his masters of public health. | At his audition, Lehrer made it clear that he wanted to engage listeners more, taking questions from real people, instead of just listening to pundits spout responses to a host, to democratize the dialogue. He had become interested in this exchange, which often produced better policies, he said, while studying for his masters of public health. |
| “It was an eye opener to me,” he said, “how often politics got in the way of the best possible environment policy, because one group or another had to be appeased for whatever reason, and that helped me add another level of sophistication to the show that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.” | “It was an eye opener to me,” he said, “how often politics got in the way of the best possible environment policy, because one group or another had to be appeased for whatever reason, and that helped me add another level of sophistication to the show that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.” |
| So that was that: The sophistication of his show, as well as the accessibility, would involve the very people who listened to him. | So that was that: The sophistication of his show, as well as the accessibility, would involve the very people who listened to him. |
| When he started at WNYC, the Fairness Doctrine had just been abolished. Gone was the requirement that broadcast stations balance controversial topics with various points of view. Talk radio exploded, with angry conservative men popping up all over the dial. | When he started at WNYC, the Fairness Doctrine had just been abolished. Gone was the requirement that broadcast stations balance controversial topics with various points of view. Talk radio exploded, with angry conservative men popping up all over the dial. |
| Mr. Lehrer wanted his show, which premiered in 1989, to be an antidote to what radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh were doing. The original title of Lehrer’s show was “On the Line,” a play on its welcoming interview format. | Mr. Lehrer wanted his show, which premiered in 1989, to be an antidote to what radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh were doing. The original title of Lehrer’s show was “On the Line,” a play on its welcoming interview format. |
| He now speaks with easily over a thousand people a year, roughly four people every show — including, once, me. (I was on to discuss The 1619 Project.) And tens of thousands more call and tune in, some names more recognizable than others. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is known to call in. The actress and activist Rosie Perez has, too. And in the middle of a conversation about the crisis for small business owners in New York City, the actor Tony Danza got on the line to talk about his mozzarella shop. | He now speaks with easily over a thousand people a year, roughly four people every show — including, once, me. (I was on to discuss The 1619 Project.) And tens of thousands more call and tune in, some names more recognizable than others. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is known to call in. The actress and activist Rosie Perez has, too. And in the middle of a conversation about the crisis for small business owners in New York City, the actor Tony Danza got on the line to talk about his mozzarella shop. |
| Lehrer’s most useful trait may be his most nebulous one: in a city of eight million “mean” or “rude” or “cold” New Yorkers, everybody seems to like Brian Lehrer, almost to a startling effect. It’s in no small part that he’s the rare non-lawmaker who fully understands how congestion pricing might work. | Lehrer’s most useful trait may be his most nebulous one: in a city of eight million “mean” or “rude” or “cold” New Yorkers, everybody seems to like Brian Lehrer, almost to a startling effect. It’s in no small part that he’s the rare non-lawmaker who fully understands how congestion pricing might work. |
| Mr. Lehrer’s magic is bipartisan: he’s made New York City — with all its internecine drama between the state and the metropolitan area, multiple elections in a year, City Council charter revisions — feel like one big neighborhood. Mr. Lehrer is also a self-proclaimed Welcome Wagon for newcomers to the city — giving them a direct line to the mayor, explaining what’s going on with the buses on 14th Street. (In German, his name translates to “teacher.”) He seems to feel a personal responsibility to provide this service. | Mr. Lehrer’s magic is bipartisan: he’s made New York City — with all its internecine drama between the state and the metropolitan area, multiple elections in a year, City Council charter revisions — feel like one big neighborhood. Mr. Lehrer is also a self-proclaimed Welcome Wagon for newcomers to the city — giving them a direct line to the mayor, explaining what’s going on with the buses on 14th Street. (In German, his name translates to “teacher.”) He seems to feel a personal responsibility to provide this service. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| “We’re always told how divided we are as a nation,” said Julia Genatossio, who has continued listening online after she left New York for Southern California, “but the broad range of listeners to Brian’s show clearly tells us another version of ourselves.” | “We’re always told how divided we are as a nation,” said Julia Genatossio, who has continued listening online after she left New York for Southern California, “but the broad range of listeners to Brian’s show clearly tells us another version of ourselves.” |
| So how has a wonky radio figure with a lightly nasal delivery become a universally beloved icon of a city that thrives on cynicism? It might have to do with the fact that Lehrer has kept his personal life private. He has virtually no social media presence outside of the show, which paradoxically lends his program even more intimacy. | So how has a wonky radio figure with a lightly nasal delivery become a universally beloved icon of a city that thrives on cynicism? It might have to do with the fact that Lehrer has kept his personal life private. He has virtually no social media presence outside of the show, which paradoxically lends his program even more intimacy. |
| For a radio guy, he gets recognized pretty frequently: in the supermarket, on the subway, in the bodega. New Yorkers who run into him might want to do a version of calling in to the show, responding to a topic from earlier that week or telling him what he should be talking about. | For a radio guy, he gets recognized pretty frequently: in the supermarket, on the subway, in the bodega. New Yorkers who run into him might want to do a version of calling in to the show, responding to a topic from earlier that week or telling him what he should be talking about. |
| Fans traded drips of his personal life with me — he lives in Inwood, he has sons, he loves to run. The stories bandied about reveal a man who seems, alternately, like a family member and a celebrity, a real mensch. | Fans traded drips of his personal life with me — he lives in Inwood, he has sons, he loves to run. The stories bandied about reveal a man who seems, alternately, like a family member and a celebrity, a real mensch. |
| “What makes him such a great host is that he is one of the only people with a long-running show on radio or TV who I would not consider to be a ‘personality,’” said Mike Bernstein, who’s been listening for over 20 years. “Despite being on the radio every day with a show that bears his name, it’s never about him.” | “What makes him such a great host is that he is one of the only people with a long-running show on radio or TV who I would not consider to be a ‘personality,’” said Mike Bernstein, who’s been listening for over 20 years. “Despite being on the radio every day with a show that bears his name, it’s never about him.” |
| Every Friday morning for the past four years, the program hosts “Ask the Mayor,” a segment inspired by radio spots mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg had with other stations. The show approached the administration when Mayor Bill de Blasio took office, but they were initially rebuffed. After some time — and some bad press — City Hall accepted. Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker and a self-described “huge, huge fan,” requested a segment as well: He sits in for the monthly “Speak to the Speaker.” | Every Friday morning for the past four years, the program hosts “Ask the Mayor,” a segment inspired by radio spots mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg had with other stations. The show approached the administration when Mayor Bill de Blasio took office, but they were initially rebuffed. After some time — and some bad press — City Hall accepted. Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker and a self-described “huge, huge fan,” requested a segment as well: He sits in for the monthly “Speak to the Speaker.” |
| To regular listeners, those Friday mornings are a time of community updates, mayoral decree and occasional sparring between mayor and host. | To regular listeners, those Friday mornings are a time of community updates, mayoral decree and occasional sparring between mayor and host. |
| But even Mr. de Blasio won’t say anything bad about Brian Lehrer. In a show earlier this month, the mayor bristled at Mr. Lehrer asking if he had seen recent video footage of a young black man in Canarsie being detained by six police officers without a clear reason. | But even Mr. de Blasio won’t say anything bad about Brian Lehrer. In a show earlier this month, the mayor bristled at Mr. Lehrer asking if he had seen recent video footage of a young black man in Canarsie being detained by six police officers without a clear reason. |
| Mr. de Blasio chided Mr. Lehrer and his staff for not tuning in to the previous day’s news conference, where he spoke about the footage at length. Mr. Lehrer responded that he had indeed tuned in, but was asking for the many listeners who weren’t able to watch the conference; Mr. de Blasio contended that the news conference should’ve answered Mr. Lehrer’s question about whether or not he’d reviewed the footage. | Mr. de Blasio chided Mr. Lehrer and his staff for not tuning in to the previous day’s news conference, where he spoke about the footage at length. Mr. Lehrer responded that he had indeed tuned in, but was asking for the many listeners who weren’t able to watch the conference; Mr. de Blasio contended that the news conference should’ve answered Mr. Lehrer’s question about whether or not he’d reviewed the footage. |
| And yet he didn’t hesitate to describe him as the Walter Cronkite of the age. | And yet he didn’t hesitate to describe him as the Walter Cronkite of the age. |
| “I will tussle with him if I think he has his facts wrong, or I think he’s missing something,” the mayor said, “but I don’t for a moment think he has a bias.” | “I will tussle with him if I think he has his facts wrong, or I think he’s missing something,” the mayor said, “but I don’t for a moment think he has a bias.” |