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Sara Carter Digs For The Underreported Stories

“We focus on a number of different underreported stories. We’ve released two episodes and are getting ready to release the third.”

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Sara Carter is an apex predator. As fierce as a mother badger defending offspring. Carter can intimidate the crap out of you, and will have no respect for you if you don’t hold your own ground. She speaks with such force, I urged her to avoid having a stroke.

After talking with her for half an hour, I found a chink in her armor. It took all that time to unearth her softer side.

“I love The Sara Carter Show,” she exclaimed. “It’s serious, funny, and we have great guests. Luis Elizando is a fantastic guest. Our show isn’t all political. Luis is a friend of mine and he’s talked to us about the mysteries out there we have no answers to. I like to have Gordon Chang on, to talk about what’s going on with China.”

Carter isn’t opposed to bringing on a chef to the show sometime. Deal with topics that aren’t always so dire and distressing.

“Maybe I’ll have Donald Trump on the show and give him the Pepsi Challenge,” Carter jokes. “See if he can identify his beloved Diet Coke.”

Carter said when she can, she likes to take her show to a lighter area.

“I love talking with attorney general Mark Brnovich about his being a Star Wars fan. I am too. We have Star Wars themes around the house. I love all the movies in the series. That’s something people might not know about me. I love the show What on Earth on Discovery. I love the series and the science. Fascinated by the universe. I love science fiction. I’m not into the mystical stuff, but I love Star Trek.”

Carter also loves to cook and knows all her mother’s recipes. All the Cuban cooking. I asked if she could make a good tamale. She can’t. But Carter said a lot of families do make very good tamales, recipes that are revered. Families take pride in their tamale recipes.

Carter is also a serious actor. The last big role she performed was Portia in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. 

“That was my favorite role,” Carter said. “I also played Laura Manion in Anatomy of a Murder.”  In the film version, this was the role played by the beautiful Lee Remick.

 “I made choices in regards to playing Laura. I lost myself in that character. In the movie she was portrayed as a sexy siren. Wore revealing and provocative outfits. I chose to wear modest clothes as my costume. Sexy, but not over sexy. I was attractive, but not over the top attractive. I kept it in the center. I used to do plays all the time in college. I love reading. I just finished. Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne. It’s a brilliant book.”

Now we can visit the hardcore Carter. The apex investigator that is reluctant to take prisoners.

Carter is an award-winning investigative reporter who says she ‘takes back the story.’

Each week Carter shares her unique perspective as a mom, a wife to a wounded war hero, and a reporter who’s told stories from the darkest corners of the world.

Dark Wars: The Border is Carter’s 10-part series on the border between Mexico and the United States.

“I’m so excited about my new podcast and we’ve been talking about it for quite a while.,” Carter said.  “We focus on a number of different underreported stories. We’ve released two episodes and are getting ready to release the third.”

The first episode is titled Behind the Border Lie. The second episode, China is the New Cartel, and the third is coming out soon. Carter said they will try to release a new story every couple of weeks.

“We have a great team working on our show,” Carter said. “This feels like such an important series of stories. Our focus is not just on the number of people coming across the border. We want to take the stories to another level. We talk with our neighbors to the south trying to find solutions.”

Carter said she’s attempting to lay out the groundwork for the entire series. She’s gone to Guatemala, El Salvador in search of answers.

“As I learned about the wall, I’ve realized It’s not just a 2,000 mile border between the U.S. and Mexico,” Carter said. “The border issue affects every single American. Are we dealing with parent’s loss of their kids to fentanyl? I don’t think we cover that side of the story enough. These drugs are being sold in underground markets of horrors. I want people to understand every single one of us is affected by these issues.”

This country has difficulty coming to consensus as to how to battle problems like the border and drugs.

“I think politics always plays a role,” Carter explained. “I can tell you this isn’t just about Joe Biden. I remember when I first started covering the border under the Bush administration. I”d break all these stories while working for the Daily Bulletin. My stories have led to a lot of congressional investigations.”

Carter, a fine writer, captures subtle nuances in her stories, evident in this clip from “Beyond Borders” about the border.

“Dilapidated corrugated steel fencing salvaged from Vietnam flanks the opening. The gulch envelops those who stay there. It twists its thorny desert branches around them, depleting their spirits and taunting them with the mesmerizing lights of a city out of reach. The migrants who call “Smuggler’s Gulch” home for months at a time watch and wait amid bad company, as smugglers of humans and drugs also call the canyon home. Those waiting to cross say corrupt Mexican state police and military personnel are among them.

Carter said the lack of national security along the Mexican border is of great importance to her. The growth of the cartels is also a concern.

“I was tough on the Bush administration with these issues,” she said. “Tough on the Obama administration as well. I worked well with the Obama administration when I worked for the Washington Times.

It seems to Carter, no administration has been able to effectively battle the drug issue or border issue efficiently.

“I feel the Trump administration finally clamped down,” Carter said. “It might not have been perfect, but at least he was holding  people accountable. It’s the people who are being lied to,” she said. “The American people. It’s a criminal crisis. A humanitarian crisis. If we don’t tell the truth as to what is happening, who will?”

In episode 2 of Dark Wars, Carter directs her focus, vitriol, and energy toward China.

“They are our adversaries,” she said. “China has taken advantage of all the chaos in the world. China is capitalizing on our border crisis. The Chinese government is aware the Mexican Cartels are manufacturing fentanyl, sending it to the United States. “The Chinese government is smart when it comes to playing this game of chess,” Carter said. “The Chinese are allowing Mexican cartels to benefit. The U.S. treasury has written a report on this.”

Carter said she’s spent time visiting shelters for victims of human trafficking, talking to young boys and girls. 

“That’s the impetus of the work I’m doing right now. These children have confronted the most horrific monsters we can imagine.”

When she talks of the drug crisis, you can hear the empathy in her voice. “We lost 107,000 people to fentanyl last year alone,” Carter said. “Kids being poisoned.

Her mother was a daughter of the Cuban revolution, and her father died when she was just 13 years-old. People like her mother worked their tails off for a better life in the United States.

“There’s a lot to fight for here,” Carter said. “I watched my mom work hard like all Americans. I recall my mother coming home from her work at the factory. Her hands would bleed from all the chemicals she worked with on a daily basis. Her job was to assemble airline parts at a rubber company. I was always so proud of her and heartbroken at the same time. She loved this country and always told me if I worked hard I could do something with my life.”

If Carter could have a blank check to fight the border crisis, importation of drugs, she said she would first designate the very dangerous, target the biggest cartels.

“It’s time we label cartels terrorist organizations,” Carter said. “We have to disrupt their chain of finances, get cooperation from our neighbors. I think we’ve made a huge mistake ignoring the problem for too long. I don’t think it’s too late. I don’t think we can afford for it to be too late.”

Despite the daunting and heavy topics Carter addresses, she’s still got hope.

“I wouldn’t visit the sex trafficing sites if I didn’t have hope,” Carter said. “I tell these victims we’re not going to forget their stories. I want the cartels to know that it’s not just me, but all the mothers and fathers around the country will hold them accountable for what they’ve done to our children.”

Carter said manufacturing needs to be brought back to the United States.

“We should be the envy of the rest of the world. Trump had started to change things. I wish some things he’s done were different. I wish he had held firm on Title 42. Perhaps he could have focused more on Central America. Let them know we were done supplying them with money as other administrations had.”

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BNM Writers

News is the Only Thing Missing From Election Coverage

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected?

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The first thought I had when I heard NBC had hired Ronna McDaniel as a commentator for $300,000 a year was to wonder how many actual journalists they could have hired for that money. Then, I recalled that NBC had laid off dozens of news staffers just a few months ago. Then, I remembered that I had just recently written a column decrying news organizations throwing pretty much anybody on the air as a “pundit” and this….

This was worse. It’s one thing to grab some rando who happened to be a minor functionary for the Executive Branch. It’s another to hire someone whose job was to promote election denialism and pretend that her opinion is something valuable for viewers. And, yes, it’s just as ridiculous when news organizations hire former presidential press secretaries (that’s you, Jen Psaki and Sean Spicer), their very jobs were to spin everything in their bosses’ favor and now you’re going to pay them big salaries for, um, what? Because they “have a name” or you’re afraid someone else will snap them up? Why them?

The McDaniel deal lasted five days, one completely unilluminating interview, and one unexpected Chuck Todd spine-growing outburst, so it’ll all blow over soon enough. The problem is, though, the part about having fired several news staffers, and what it means in an election year on both the national and local levels. If you have the money to hire an alleged pundit – any alleged pundit – you have the money to hire reporters, and I don’t mean anchors or opinion show hosts.

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected? Who’s probing Project 2025 and why isn’t it front-page, first-segment news? Who’s pressing the Biden administration on Gaza? Is anyone reporting on the candidates’ record on climate change?

Beyond prescription drug prices, is anyone digging into the broken healthcare system and demanding answers from the candidates about what they’ll do to fix it (and not letting Trump get away with “I’ll have a better plan, a beautiful plan” without a single specific detail, like they did in 2016)? Why didn’t anyone focus on, for example, the GOP candidate for governor of North Carolina and his incendiary past comments well before the primary?

Pundits are not going to do the legwork on the issues; they’ll just talk about swing states while John King and Steve Kornacki point at their touchscreen maps. We need reporting on the things that matter (and can affect that horse race, even if most people have made up their minds). It shouldn’t just be Pro Publica and scattered independent journalists doing the dirty work.

Honestly, I don’t want to hear the complaints about the quality of the candidates or how this is a rerun or any of that. (We’ll leave that to The New York Times.) We are a horribly underinformed electorate and we got the horse race we deserve. It might just be idealists like me who think that, just maybe, the news media can play a role in educating the public and bursting the bubbles and echo chambers. This country has survived and prospered for a few centuries with the press shining a light on injustice and corruption.

Now, when we need that most, they’re more concerned with what they think will bring them ratings and money (although someone will have to explain to me who thought having Ronna McDaniel as a paid commentator would draw a single viewer to NBC).

Here’s a thought: Don’t lay off reporters, especially in an election year.  Assign them to dig deep on issues that matter to the voters.

Let the pundits talk about that.

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8 Ways to Take Your Commercials From Drab to Fab

Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials.

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Another reason to read this column, I often add an Easter egg. We are in the advertising business. Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials. Frequently, clients write these ads. You can excuse it if the spots suck. But when the commercials are written by Account Executives or the production department at the station, it is kind of unforgivable.

I am going to share the most meaningless phrases in commercials.

Locally Owned and Operated

Customers do not care. If customers cared about a business being locally owned and operated, Walmart would not exist. People want service, selection, and value. They do not want to get soaked. When you purchase something, are you willing to pay 20% for a local company? If you say yes, you are wrong. People want a deal.

The Phone Number

Doing 70 down the 405, John slammed on the brakes to write down the phone number for an amazing HVAC Company. That is not how it works people. HVAC companies rarely have or should have regular customers.

Normally, your AC is out. You call the HVAC Company that you are familiar with. Radio advertising allows people to have “TOMA”: Top of Mind Awareness. There are stats that show when a company is advertising on your radio station, their website shows an increase in traffic. When you needed a service for your home, you hit Google and choose the company that you’ve heard of. It’s that simple. I actually heard a commercial asking listeners to add a businesses phone number to their contact list. That is a moronic use of advertising real estate.

Street Addresses

“Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is located at 106 East Governors Drive in Peoria.” 

The people listening cannot process that detail. You could say “Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is on Governors Drive just off 10th in Peoria.” That is almost digestible. That creates a picture of where it is.

Trust me, people interested in prime rib will Google you and load the address in their navigation system. Spend that precious spot time selling the experience of the restaurant.

Always Using the Company Owner/Founder in Commercials

Sometimes, it is amazing when business owners are their spokesperson. They have passion and are natural salespeople. Some business owners are terrible at speaking about their product.

When you have a business owner who is a natural promoter, they can drag listeners into their business. I once worked with a family who owned a couple of hardware stores. They spoke about the benefits of visiting their stores. It was heartfelt and real. They promised that their employees can help solve any problem in your home. If you went to that store and had a simple or complex problem, the employees helped you out.

I once worked with a man who owned a really nice flooring company.  For whatever reason, he thought that he was funny. He had spots written by him, his wife, or a kid. The ads were dreadful. They were not funny at all. Account Executives need to talk these clients out of doing commercials like this. Nothing says wacky hijinks like flooring.

Overuse of Numbers

“We have grapes at 99 cents a pound, Chuck steak at $1.99, two-for-one zucchini.”

Trust me, no one driving in city traffic can keep track of that. “The 2025 Chevy Chevette is back with 45-mpg efficiency and amazing 18-inch tires. Prices start at $19,999…  The New Chevy Silverado starts at $32,999.”

It gets really confusing fast.

WWW.

Yes, I hear commercials saying check us on the internet at “W-W-W dot business name here dot com.”

WWW is assumed and not needed anymore unless you are running a Commadore-64 with the latest floppy disc technology.

Yellow Pages Ad

“Check out our new ad in the Yellow Pages!”

OMG, no one reads those damn things anymore. Most people born after 1960 just toss those suckers in the trash. There was a time when the Yellow Pages were the largest revenue generator in advertising. Yes, a book of ads. Like Facebook, without your buddy’s political, vacation, or food posts. It was just ads. Zero content.

I had stuffed salmon tonight that I engineered myself. I would make Sydney Sweeney quite the trophy husband. Set us up. Hey, I am single. It was not that long ago that you would hear a radio ad that promoted a coupon in the Sunday paper.

Well, that copy should be deader than a doornail.

Amateur Theater

A husband and wife discussing their lawn and how she heard about Telly’s Lawn Service from her friend Stacy. 

Those commercials are obviously contrived and not interesting at all. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open every commercial must have an attention-grabbing opener. “Totally Jammed…  The floor covered with the guest towels. Fearing the horrific consequences of another flush…  I did the right thing. I called ABC Plumbing. Quick service, a great price, and peace of mind.”

The next time that the plunger is failing to get the desired results, the listener of that commercial will identify with the very realist scenario.

We are in the advertising business. Use radio as it was meant.

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The Lost Art of Using Sound as a Springboard

Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

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Jon Stewart was the first guy to do it — take a politician’s words from the news of the day or week. Search his or her entire past and find a sound byte saying the exact opposite.

It became an art form – and a great way to keep people accountable.

Most radio operations don’t have the resources necessary to consistently do something like that, but truth be told, that kind of journalism isn’t really the point of this week’s column.

It’s an example of the simple power of sound. We need to use it more within our shows. Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable, and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

Speaking from experience, not doing it is lazy.

Doing it takes minimal effort and helps conversations tremendously – especially when it’s in real-time. I know. I’ve been there – missing opportunity after opportunity because I didn’t think of it, ask for help or just do it myself.

Put simply, good sound is a better springboard to a question than just a question.

Just the other day, I realized how well it works and how little I’ve been doing it.

Here’s what happened.

We have one particularly heated congressional race in our state. The Republican candidate is running for a second time after narrowly losing in 2022 in an election where Connecticut’s gubernatorial candidate from the same party got smoked, and the Republican presidential candidate lost the state as well.

This time around, there’s a struggling Democratic President with real doubts about the economy and the country’s standing in the world.

Put simply, the Democratic congressional incumbent has a massive task ahead to get re-elected.

On my show, I try to be consistently independent and be a place for both parties to appear with the expectation that the conversations will be fair and honest.

The Republican candidate came on the show earlier this month, and we went through a number of issues. Connecticut is a relatively strong Democratic stronghold, where the party controls the legislature, the Governor’s Mansion, and the entire congressional delegation.

Having said that, the largest voting block is unaffiliated, so appealing to independents is crucial for either side to win. I asked the Republican candidate twice about whether he will support Donald Trump, and both times, he equivocated. I asked the follow-up, we were on the record, so I moved on.

The following week, his opponent, the Democratic incumbent, was scheduled to appear on the show. Before her arrival, I realized the Trump Q&A should probably be replayed for her. Duh.

My producer found it, clipped it, and had it at the ready. I felt that I should have realized it sooner and not put some added strain on my partner’s morning routine. He was fine, but it definitely added unnecessary work within the show.

Lesson learned.

The sound byte worked well. I played it. She responded. We moved the story forward, and it was compelling – as you might imagine, the topic of Trump vs. Biden is pretty compelling these days.

By no means did it create a “wow” moment. That would be a little much. But it did make the show better, using the opponent’s own voice as opposed to my paraphrasing something. That lends credibility, not only to the topic but also to the show. He gave this important answer on our show, and she gave her response … on our show.

My final thought on this is that we (I) need to look for more places to utilize sound as a springboard to conversations, as opposed to simply raising the topic and discussing it. Maybe you’re already good at it and do it all the time, but this past week, I realized I need to push myself to do it more.

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