Aidan Foster-Carter and the media

Compared to me who ended up being requested only once to appear in media for the "expert opinion" about the situation after the North Korean missile tests, Aidan Foster-Carter had a lot more hectic times with the media after the news broke out: Wednesday, July 5, was one busy, dizzy day. It began early (6:45am) with lots of radio. Besides BBC World Service, there was a full house of Celts - Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - plus local radio in Essex and Warwick. I'd been booked for BBC Radio 4's flagship Today too, but was first postponed and then stood down. They always do that to me. Still, this was all done by phone from home; hence no great inconvenience, just a tad annoying. He also got a phone call from across the Atlantic: Worryingly, ignorance seems to increase across the pond. Fox TV phoned, wanting someone who'd met Kim [Jong-il]. I suggested Madeleine Albright. Who? Er, your former secretary of state! (I'm not sure if right-wing Fox even speaks to Clintonistas, mind, or vice versa.) As for me, appearing in media is always a good opportunity to hone the skill to present one's expertise in a clear and condensed manner, and the vanity factor is not irrelevant either... Except that I do not consider myself a specialist on DPRK missiles, which I told the producer when he contacted me, but as the vanity factor is not irrelevant, we agreed that we can work out something after I told him how I might be of use for their program. As the commuter train was late, my biggest concern that morning was not the interview but that I'd miss the program; after getting assured that I wouldn't be late, it was that all my sweat (it was 30 degrees that morning) would show on air. It did not. Categories at del.icio.us/hunjang: DPRK ∙ media ∙ Korea-Finland