Aaron Bleich, producer and writer in New York City, N.Y., won a National Emmy Award in 2001 for his coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City. Bleich also produces and directs low to medium budget films.
Bleich gave a lecture on Murray State’s campus last Thursday in the Fine Arts Building. He also made presentations to theatre classes.
The News got to speak with him after being on campus. He shared with us some of his advice and humor.
Q: What is it about television news and packaging that really peaks your interest?
A: There is little about the current state of television news, which sparks my interest. I find broadcast news today; especially network news to be boring and tenebrous. It is full of talking heads trying to report spin on issues rather than truism. Contemporary “News” is in the business of keeping you watching. I do, however, have great hope this next generation of journalists will use new technology and platforms to help inform and solve some of the problems facing this world. They are doing this by avoiding the commercialization and corporate nature of news and distributing information over the Internet. I only want them to be more careful about reporting truth and not rumor.
If the question is rather, why did you get into television news? The answer is, luck. I got an internship at CBS News and found I had an aptitude for writing and visually telling stories. I do rejoice a small bit in the reality my reports make people just a little bit smarter … and since men only watch the news to sound smart in a bar and women only watch the news so they can weed out idiots, I take some pride in doing my part to help America get lucky.
Q: Did it ever occur to you that you might one day win something as big as an Emmy?
A: No.
Q: What was your reaction when you found out you had won an Emmy for your 9-11 coverage?
A: My good friend Dave Murphy who is the senior writer at NBC News told me and I thought he was kidding. I had left NBC on December 31, 2001, and Dave told me I had won in February when we went to a bar to grab a drink.
Q: When you were on campus last week, what is one thing you really hoped students learned from you?
A: I hope students learned three things. First, success is hard work; it doesn’t just happen and no one is entitled. Second, telling a story means having a beginning, middle and end; if the story doesn’t have these aspects it probably isn’t a story worth telling. Finally, acting means a life full of rejection, but said rejection is never personal.
Q: You also produce and direct films. What got you into that?
A: I produce and direct films because it is fun. This applies to my documentary work as well as my work in feature and short films.
Q: Are you currently working on any film or TV projects? Tell us about them.
A: Yes. I am working on three projects currently. I am executive producer/news director at Sii.tv which is an online on -emand newscast. The project should launch in fall 2013 and the concept is 30 minutes of news personalized to your interests up to date anytime of the day. It will feature reporting from Sii anchors and reporters as well as curation of the best news reports from across the globe. Secondly, I have been asked to direct a film currently titled “Just Cause.” It is a film about two hitmen one of whom begins filming his jobs in order to build a reel to get into acting. The two are not the brightest of assassins and find themselves caught between two opposing evil forces bent on world domination. Finally I am principal of Pepper Tree Media where my partners and I plan on pitching shows we would like to do to various networks. Unlike other production companies, we don’t plan on pitching shows we know will get green lit, but rather pitching shows we would enjoy working on and if they get green lit then so be it.
Q: Do you have any goals that you are aiming toward? Maybe winning another Emmy?
A: My ultimate goal in life is to be on a stage with thousands of people screaming “Aaron! Aaron!” as a shower of sparks rains down behind me … or I would like to win a Field’s Medal. But as I’m not a singer/entertainer or a mathematician the odds of those goals coming true are very, very low. In terms of tangible accomplishments I haven’t thought of an award or anything I would like to win. I suppose I’d like to be “famous” because that means you can get tickets.
Q: Moving to a different topic, what do you like to do for fun?
A: Have sex, play baseball, travel the world … I also enjoy debating religion, philosophy and TV. I got into a debate with one Murray State professor on campus who believes Deep Space Nine is the best “Star Trek” franchise and he’s just an idiot for thinking that, everyone knows it’s The Next Generation, but as everyone knows I’m right, it wasn’t really a debate.
Q: Do you have any career advice for graduating college seniors?
A: In general I have always said if you ask someone for help I have never heard of them saying, “screw you.” So my advice is don’t pretend to know it all – it makes people skeptical of you – be honest and ask for help from your superiors when you need it. The great thing about asking for help is it pulls people into your orbit and they take a personal interest in your success. More specifically in news, be honest. When asking questions, reporting or talking to your editors about deadlines … always be honest and people will trust you and your judgment. Don’t get caught up in the rush to get information out … make sure it’s correct first. Also if you go into journalism, be willing to protect your sources. Jail sucks but eventually they let you go.
Story by Anna Taylor, Staff writer.