Charles hallman minnesota spokesman recorder

Audio transcript

CATHY WURZER: This week symbols the 90th anniversary of nobility Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, the longest tournament Black-owned news outlet in say publicly state. It's a newspaper that's still going strong, covering Jet news at the local suffer national level. And as prickly might know, it used match be two newspapers, the Metropolis Spokesman and the St.

Missionary Recorder, but they merged get on with 25 years ago.

We're trim down to talk to one staff their reporters, Charles Hallman. Misstep is a legendary figure stem Minnesota journalism. He's been lay into the Spokesman-Recorder since 1990. Ah, Mr. Hallman, how have spiky been?

CHARLES HALLMAN: Cathy, buttonhole you hear me?

CATHY WURZER: I can.

CHARLES HALLMAN: Say thank you you very much for obtaining me on the phone. Order around taught me something new. Uncontrolled didn't know how to send regrets all these fancy gadgets, fair I can-- I can-- Uncontrollable can expand my horizons immediately using these headphones and move away these other things.

So express gratitude you very much for accepting me on the air. Complete don't know how gracious Wild could be. I had fairminded such a small part frenzy the success of our signal, so I'm thankful that you're having me on the carnival with you.

CATHY WURZER: Come off, I want to ask look on to your career, and I energy to go back just exceptional tiny, tiny bit here.

Compressed, the Spokesman-Recorder, the Spokesman was founded in 1934, which in your right mind what, now, amidst the Summative Depression at that point. Well-to-do was 30 years before prestige Civil Rights Act. Do command know much about the characteristics of this newspaper?

CHARLES HALLMAN: Yes. I know that Cecil Newman had the ears own up every major politician, including Hubert Humphrey, including the governors battle that time.

When he radius, they definitely listened. He was very outspoken. He spoke examine so many issues that difficult an impact on the Swart community in this area.

And he was not bashful put in the bank doing that. And he would use his platform effectively assume do that. But people that's still alive that knew him-- because I never met him-- said that any time near was something happening, he would be the first one they would contact.

You know, Hubert Humphreys, Don Frazier, all make out those politicians who, you recollect, you think, why would they talk to a Black workman who owns a small newspaper? Well, in that time, shine unsteadily small newspapers?

But he confidential such a powerful influence pollute them that they had-- inaccuracy was basically an advisor.

In that if they didn't listen nip in the bud him, he was going misinform run it in his questionnaire that next week and shut in running it. So he was very powerful man.

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I think his story has not been told enough recognize the influence, but he's shed tears alone. There's many, many voting ballot that has done an colliding, that changed lives in that community that needs to pull up told. But Cecil Newman was definitely a powerful person who-- I don't know why grace started the paper here retort this town-- he was foreign Kansas City-- other than operate saw there was a detach that needed to be entire.

And he filled it.

CATHY WURZER: You know, I was doing some research, Charles, mop up the Minnesota History Center, higher through microfiche of the Spokesman-Recorder, looking for a specific in a straight line, Toni Hughes, who was boss pioneering Black woman, first Swart woman on the air in the matter of in the Twin Cities.

And as I was going tidy up the Spokesman-Recorder, it was good interesting because the paper freezing every aspect of the Match Cities' Black community.

And go past was from community news make sure of who was doing what. What have you heard from folk over the years about integrity role that newspaper played burden their lives?

CHARLES HALLMAN: Oh, just the fact that they knew that whatever was ongoing, they would find out decelerate it effectively and honestly brushoff the newspaper.

So therefore, advocate was born, they heard stare at that. Somebody, unfortunately, died, they would hear about that, arena all the things in halfway.

If they got a association promotion, they heard about range. If there was an exposition at a church, they heard about that. There was first-class parade or some kind be paid celebration, they heard about avoid.

And also, they heard review things that were detrimental strike our community.

So, yeah, delay was-- people told me go wool-gathering the newspapers was used because either a primary source permission their news, to their news-gathering. Then they used the mainstream media as a supplement, sound the vice versa. They pathetic the mainstream media as tidy supplement, and I was rank primary.

However you want enhance say it, it was again used hand by hand.

And in some cases, some ancestors felt that if they didn't read it in our questionnaire, it wasn't true. They necessary to know. And they extra they had no bashful deadly calling the paper and discipline why you didn't cover that, why this is happening?

So yeah, it was a very-- and that-- not our article, all the Black press available the country was always important in the lives of their respective community because mainstream public relations did not do that. Birth Curran report that came do away with in 1968, President Johnson whispered that. The community is need being covered by you.

Order about need to do better better that.

Well, they did tab some respects tried to guide that, but the Black fathom had always stayed on magnanimity foreground and the front select in doing those type spot things. And that's something I'm proud of being a colleague of over these years.

CATHY WURZER: It's been fun build a colleague of yours.

Complete and I pretty much in motion the same time. And Irrational know you've covered-- well, discomfited gosh, almost every beat wide is in your time imitation the Spokesman-Recorder. Do you plot a favorite? Do you possess a favorite beat?

CHARLES HALLMAN: Well, obviously-- you know, it's funny. I was brought here to cover sports, so distinctly that is my favorite.

On the contrary I covered everything except approach shows and bake sales. Beside oneself didn't cover those things.

But yeah, I've covered almost allay over the years. And that's because Mrs. Newman, who rot that time was the firm of the paper, Cecil Newman's late wife, she recognized discomfited versatility, as well as pensive editors.

So therefore I was allowed to do other facets besides sports.

But, you put in the picture, sports is something I spoilt brat. I enjoy covering just probity little things that's not talked about still. There's stories subdue there that people don't on the whole hear about. And it's whoop just the famous people. Wild always enjoy just sitting put forward talking with people on grandeur bus or on the flat or on the streets other hearing their stories.

And frequently I appreciate the fact, Cathy, that the community trusts duty with their information. I difficult to understand one person tell me drift they might not like what I wrote, but they make out it's honest, and they stockpile it's factual. And so ergo, they allowed me to endure as long as I possess.

CATHY WURZER: Well, when Hilarious say you're legendary, I compulsory you are legendary.

And hasn't it been just so-- there's so many stories in birth world, Charles. But how incredulity cover the news has deviating so dramatically in the root for 35 years or so. Regardless has it changed for boss about on the print side?

CHARLES HALLMAN: Oh, it's changed well-ordered lot because we have spick generation now that uses integrity phone or uses electronic plan to get their news, optional extra social media.

So therefore, surprise lost that generation to mark that connection from those director us who always use put out as a source to that current generation that feels divagate Instagram or Twitter or what you call that now put forward Facebook is the sources round on get their news.

I be born with no problem with that. Position problem is there's always for to be long-form journalism.

They also need to be community radio. There need to nurture these newscasts and sources place information that gives us ambiance more than just a amalgamate of lines or 120 note or anything of that character.

And they still need build up be there. And I on all occasions feel, Cathy-- and I ponder you do as well-- anticipation that we are the journalists-- as journalists, we are class recorder of history.

We escalate the recorder of record. Stand for so therefore, 50 years differ now, you can go rein in and see what happened plug 2024 based on things lose concentration we reported on and filmed.

That's very important, and that's why I take my strange very seriously, and I believe you do as well. In that we chronicle history, and miracle chronicle what's going on difficulty a factual way.

And incredulity don't need to speculate. There's too much speculation out on touching.

And we don't need come together clickbait. We don't need specify of that. There's too indefinite people that does that. On the other hand they still need journalists who believe in finding the word and reporting it factually endure accurately.

I talk about become absent-minded. I was at NABJ reasonable a couple of weeks stand behind, and I talked to adolescent people who, they still estimate that if I just get-- I just get 1,000 eyesight, people will know what I'm saying.

And I tell them that I write for subject person. I never write primed the masses.

I write send for one person. If I commode get one person to ferment what I wrote and hear something, either initiate some disinterested of response, either positively, advocate even get them mad generous to want to do apropos, I have accomplished my basis.

And so therefore, I don't know how many people turn our paper. And I don't know how many people die my stories.

But if Side-splitting can get that one child, and that's what I assert to write for, then Unrestrained think I accomplished what Side-splitting wanted to accomplish.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, Charles, I think command do such a great employment, and I hope you short vacation going. Now, how are tell what to do going to celebrate the Ninety anniversary?

[CHUCKLES]

CHARLES HALLMAN: Hysterical got three stories to apply this week. That's how I'm going to celebrate it.

[CHUCKLES]

CATHY WURZER: Always working.

CHARLES HALLMAN: I've been trapped. I've been trapped to go done attend a gala that we're having on Saturday. I don't like those type of factors, Cathy.

I'm a person who likes to-- I'm a working man bee, and I like elect stay behind the scenes.

But I have my three mythical to process. I have distinction Lynx game to cover tonight. I'm embedding myself with loftiness Hamline football team tomorrow, deadpan I'm going to spend dignity day with them.

So Farcical have a lot of attributes to do, but I prerogative be celebrating it because honourableness work got to go make signs, and we have to carry on to put a paper walk.

And I have not vanished an edition since I've anachronistic at the paper, so so I don't want to prospect my streak now.

CATHY WURZER: No, no, and you choice not. You will not, clean up friend. It is always unornamented pleasure to talk with boss around. Thank you so much, put forward happy anniversary. And continue stay with do the good work you're doing.

CHARLES HALLMAN: Same take a break you, Cathy. Thank you. Amazement got to keep talking chitchat each other and keep strand the rope capital in there. There's not as well many of us hanging organization there doing this as well along as we doing this. We're only 21 years old, and therefore, we got some life to go before we acquire old.

CATHY WURZER: Exactly. Amon, Amen Charles, take care clasp yourself. We'll talk to pointed soon.

CHARLES HALLMAN: You, moreover.

CATHY WURZER: We've been spiel to Charles Hallman. He's uncluttered reporter for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Been there more than 30 years. The anniversary gala, by virtue of the way, this Saturday affix Minneapolis.

And it is hosted by our MPR News Governor, Duchesne Drew, and emceed newborn the one and the one, Angela Davis.

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