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Life 360:
Six Degrees of Separation
With Michel Martin
Host, "Life 360"
Friday, Oct. 5, 2001; 3 p.m. EDT
Starting Oct. 5, "Life 360" airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on PBS
station (check local listings). The first episode, "Six Degrees of
Separation," examines the multitude of ways in which human beings are
connected to one another -- socially, spiritually,
psychologically, physically and across time.
Michel Martin, host of "Life 360," was online Friday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. EDT, to discuss the new series.
"Life 360" is described as "an eclectic showcase of stories exploring a different
theme each week. Independent filmmakers, writers, comedians, musicians,
and others will take each theme apart, put it back together, and stand it
on its head to discover unexpected perspectives.
As guest anchor and regular contributor for ABC's Nightline, Martin has
mixed the personal with the universal in her reports. Prior to joining ABC
News, Martin wrote for The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.
She has also been a regular panelist on the PBS show Washington Week in
Review. Martin won an Emmy for her segment on the campaign to end land
mines.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
washingtonpost.com:
Michel Martin should be with us momentarily.
washingtonpost.com:
Michel, thank you for joining us this afternoon. "Life 360" has been described as a new kind of television. How is "Life 360" different from other shows? What is the message you want the audience to take away after the show?
Michel Martin: Well, it contains storytelling form that you will have seen before, but combined in a very new way. It contains mini-documentaries, for example tonight, our program contains a 24-minute piece. It also contains things you don't see, such as animation and performance work by people who are comedians -- or social commentators.
So this is a way to use an old form, but mix it up in a new way to explore a different topic each week.
Washington, D.C.:
Who thought of the idea of the show Life 360? Was it one person's vision?
Michel Martin: I think like most wonderful things, it is a collaborative vision that continues to evolve based on the people contributing. I think we have to give credit to PBS because they made money available for this original programming and we put a group together that contains people from Oregon public broadcasting and Nightline -- so credit goes to a number of people, including Pat Mitchell for having the idea, and Tom Bettag, who is the exec. producer of Nightline and the Exec. in charge of Life 360. And John Lindsay of Oregon Public Broadcasting and Janet Tobias, the executive producer and they were the ones that put the original proposal together.
Washington, D.C.:
Hi Michel,
Do you just narrate the show or were you also involved in the production and the picking and choosing of topics?
Michel Martin: Both -- I serve as the hostess and I see that role in the same way as if I were inviting you over to my house to meet a fascinating group of people. I won't be in every converstation, but I do participate in some conversations, so I also function as a correspondent and I have a number of pieces that will air throughout the season.
In terms of picking the topics -- I do have a role in that, but they really flow from the great stories that we have to tell. There were a number we were interested in, but if we couldn't find the stories, we had to walk on by for now.
Washington, DC:
Michel, I'm wondering if you've ever been surprised by how the "six degrees of separation" rule has been true in your own life? Also, what do you think the real value of the "six degrees" concept is? Aren't we all really connected to each other, just by virtue of being human? What real significance is there to be being six degrees away from Bill Clinton, for example? (My high school friend's dad went to high school with him.) This raises another issue: if I'm three degrees from someone, as opposed to six... what does that really mean, according to those who attribute real significance to the six degrees rule?
Michel Martin: That's a question of world view and certainly I have felt that connectedness in my own life, but the weight anyone gives it is a matter of opinion, philosophy, religious belief, so I can't answer for anyone else.
In terms of larger significance -- I can't speak for every place and time, but right now in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedies, many of us are feeling a sense of interconnectedness in a way we haven't before. That's both comforting and painful.
And, as journalists, we don't have all the answers. What we do have is the ability to ask interesting questions and lead you to people who can provide interesting ideas about these things.
Portland, Ore.:
In light of everything that has happened
how do you think television or movies will
change and do you think Life 360 will be a
part of this new type of programming?
Michel Martin: Taking the second question first, I certainly hope it will. As to the first, I think all thoughtful people, particularly those engaged in communication to the broader public, are grappling with how to absorb these events and how to be helpful and thoughtful.
I'm interested in seeing what others come up with. We saw one example on "West Wing" the other night.
Baltimore, Md.:
Do you believe that certain people are "glue people" -- that they have a special gift for building strategic connections among people they encounter?
Michel Martin: I am not the most original thinker on this, but a book by Malcolm Glanwell called "The Tipping Point" explores this. And I recommend it. I do this by way of a commercial, because I hope to do future work with him!
Beavercreek, Ore.:
Michel, You are so natural when interviewing people. What advice do you have about effective Q and A's for a young journalist?
Michel Martin: My advice is the same for young journalists is the same for most people -- think before you speak, listen more than you talk, and to stay in the moment -- by which I mean, focus on the person to who you're speaking to. Block out the other stuff, don't let yourself be distracted by lights, the sound guy. And the final point is, think more about the other person than you do about yourself whether you like the person or not. If you put that energy into who you're interviewing, that will come through.
Arlington, Va.:
What themes will you be exploring in the show?
Michel Martin: Thanks for the question. I'm really excited about the range of themes we take up. Tonight's program explores the question of connectedness. Next week, "A Place in Time" explores fate and randomness. Other programs explore what it means to have a voice, we talk about junk, we have one on monuments, roots in terms of heritage and how to explore them... we have a program I really love called "Tens," which is the world through the eyes of 10-year-olds. One on bridges, flying -- the meaning of flight.
Michel Martin: We try to have surprises in every program, but gentle surprises.
Brentwood, Tenn.:
Do you have any interesting behind the scenes stories about the first show?
Michel Martin: Well, I hope this counts: We were filming the first shows before the Sept. 11 tragedies. Needless to say, we immediately shut down production and tried to lend a hand. One of our steady-cam operators is an EMT who immediately went to participate in the rescue efforts in lower Manhattan. Those of us who were journalists helped with coverage.
WHen we came back we had to figure out a way to incorporate all that, so we tore up what we wrote for the first show and started over. But, the ripple effect, the produced pieces were well in the works before, but they still made sense, and in fact, made even more sense. And so in tonight's introduction I talk about that.
The only other thing I'd add, is that it was quite emotional going back to that space and I don't want to be melodramatic because people are proufoundly suffering, but it was very emotional when we returned to resume our work. There was a sense of humility and respect and wondering if we were doing the right thing and we all concluded that if we had the choice we'd all prefer to be down at the WTC digging with our hands, but since we couldn't we decided to dedicate ourselves to creating something of value. There was a real spirit in that room.
Minneapolis, Minn.:
The Ripple Effect -– like the small-town boy from Ohio in your story, and more topically today those heros of flight 93 over Penn. What part of the human does heroism and courage come from? Is it a collective part of the mental character, or "heart" of the individual, or spiritual sense that is challanged only in very difficult situations, like on the battlefield, or is it simply the fact that one is facing death so "That Others Might Live?" or as the terroist "believed" that others might not live. What is the part or system of the individual that makes those choices? What makes either choice to help or not? Can one do this without war being a factor? What is the ripple effect of either choice?
Michel Martin: That is a very interesting and profound question and I simply do not feel qualified to answer it, except to say that heroism can be counted in any number of ways. I see it daily -- in the ways in which moms struggle to feed and care for children in the face of poverty and oppression around the world. I think heroism can be seen in people who overcome disability and speak to function and be productive citizens. SO, personally, I don't believe it is activated only by war or by threat. But I'm sure that others know more about this than I do.
Vienna, Va.:
Who's your favorite musical artist, and will that artist be appearing on Life 360?
Michel Martin: There's no way I'm answering that! I love all of our artists -- especially the ones who show up on time.
Portland, Ore.:
Michelle:
Do you think this interconnectivity and connection that we all now share (New York now feels like it's right next door to Portland, Ore.) will maintain its place front and center as some of the immediate memories of the WTC recede?
Michel Martin: It's just too soon to say. It's a traumatic event in our lives as individuals, as a nation. It's just too soon to say how this will mark us in the years ahead.
ALso, remember, that people cope in different ways. For some people, they need to "get back to normal." But others need time to absorb experiences and we have to respect both strategies for healing.
Michel Martin: By that I mean I am personally still thinking about and struggling with what happened and what it means and how we should address it, but I'm also respectful of those who would just like to move on. Because perhaps they feel a need to move on and that's necessary to them and I respect that.
Alexandria, Va.:
I have seen your reports on Nightline and I must say that Nightline's coverage of the terror attacks, and specifically your reports were the most informative and the most stark, visually. How have the attacks,if at all, affected the content and presentation of Life 360? How have you personnally been affected? And, will you be incorporating the events of Sept. 11 into the program at all?
Michel Martin: Thank you for the lovely compliments. I answered this question in detail earlier and the only thing I would add is that we're continuing to grapple with the best way to deal with those events in this program. One thing we're trying to do is continually assess where people are emotionally and intellectually and what segments are helpful and appropriate.
Washington, D.C.:
Hi Michel. I read an article in Saturday's Washington Post called "Many Victims Only 'Handshakes Away'" referring to the degrees of separation from the attacks as being few for most, and painful for many. The title of tonight's Life 360 episode is "Six Degrees of Separation." What are some of the unique stories you found in putting together this episode -- since it must have been produced prior to Sept. 11?
Michel Martin: The centerpiece of the hour is called "The Ripple Effect," which was in production before the events.
But another piece is a story about a fireman from NYC who traveled to Omaha every year to help set off their fireworks and in the course of years he made many friends in Omaha. Sadly, he is among those missing and presumed dead at this point. We have a piece that explores the friendships he developed and the lives he touched in those annual trips to Omaha. I don't think people will have seen this before
Washington, D.C.:
Who's the most interesting person you've found yourself linked to -- by six degrees or less?
Michel Martin: This sounds so corny, but my husband and through him, because he's linked to the world. He's a connector -- one of those people who knows someone all over the place.
Washington, D.C.:
Do ratings matter to PBS? I've always wondered that.
Michel Martin: I wonder that too.
New York, N.Y.:
What role does this program play in your
personal mission as a journalist and in
the media arena as a whole?
Michel Martin: That's very interesting. I'm committed to excellence and in putting this program together, all the people working on it are committed to the highest standards of journalism. We want true and complete stories. We believe in telling viewers what they need to know to assess for themselves the credibility of what we're presenting. Any time we can add quality to public discourse, I feel I'm fulfilling my mission.
Also, this program has a diverse cast of contributors -- different points of view, skills. In our second program we have a film by a woman named Kelly St. John, which was her graduate thesis at the Berkely School of Journalism and I don't think too many people would air that. Even though this needs to be seen.
Then contributors like Margaret Cho, and she has a lot to say of value, that are strictly just funny and I'm glad to let her say those things.
Michel Martin: Thank you to washingtonpost.com for hosting this. This is my first Web chat and it was a lot of fun.
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