Politics has always been in Scott Shafer’s DNA.
Origin Stories | Scott Shafer - KQED News Reporter & Co-host, Political Breakdown
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Transcript of Comic Strip
This is a KQED Origin Story by Scott Shafer, a KQED News Reporter & and Co-host of Political Breakdown. Scott is speaking in the panels.
Panel 1: Politics and news have always been a part of my DNA.
Panel 2: A young Scott lies on the floor in front of a TV, intently watching “Meet the Press.” His father sits on the nearby couch watching with him. The caption reads “Every Sunday I’d watch Meet the Press with my father, an immigrant from Poland.”
Panel 3: Ten-year-old Scott is in the foreground speaking into a red corded phone handset, saying “Good Evening, Mr. James! Are you voting Nixon, Humphrey or Wallace?” Another boy Scott’s age sits at a table in the background looking at a phone book. The caption reads “By the age 10, my best friend and I decided to conduct an opinion poll of the 1968 presidential candidates.”
Panel 4: A college-age Scott sits in a radio booth in front of a microphone wearing headphones. His hand is on the controls, and he is surrounded by two record turntables, and bookshelves filled with record albums. The caption reads “Later in college I began volunteering at the radio station spinning records. Over time, I learned to combine my love for radio, politics and asking questions.”
Panel 5: A closeup of Scott is shown next to The California Report co-host Suzie Racho, circa 1998. Scott holds a square red pin that reads “KQED 88.5FM.” The caption reads “Eventually, I started hosting The California Report at KQED in 1998.”
Panel 6: “I love unlocking people’s stories. If I can use this medium to help someone learn something that moves them, I feel I’ve done my job.”