That one elusive interview

I have started to really enjoy stories that rely on man-on-the-street interviews. Things come together very fast with them, as they did at the Central Library. One obstacle I had with this story was the city employee interview – I needed one to make the story complete, since the employees’ lives would be most directly affected.

Producers told me they had found a ranger at Griffith Park willing to talk to us the day before, but when I arrived, he told me the department’s press person had nixed it that same day. I needed footage of the park anyway, but it was getting late by then and I still didn’t have my employee. I went up to several employees before learning the staff had been called into a meeting earlier that day and told specifically not to talk to the media in the face of these possible service cuts.

I finally caught Mr. Portillo sitting in his car, and made one last effort, hoping he might be willing since he was off work. Lucky for me, he was.