This post was written by Hatchet reporter Carson Rolleri
GW’s face of media education could soon become CNN’s face of media criticism. 
Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs, is a top contender to take over as permanent host for of “Reliable Sources,” Politico reported last week.
Sesno guest hosted CNN’s “Reliable Sources” Sunday for the second time, focusing on how the media dealt with the government shutdown and the health care debate.
He’s unpaid for the gig, as are the rest of the temporary “Reliable Sources” hosts, like the New York Times’ Brian Stelter. The Sunday show – a weekend staple for the cable network – has been without a permanent host since Howard Kurtz left in June.
“For now, I’m hosting one program at a time and trying to craft the best conversation possible,” Sesno told The Hatchet.
But a permanent slot could make sense. Sesno is going on sabbatical next semester to work on a book, and Politico reported that the “Reliable Sources” host could keep other professional obligations, as Kurtz did.
The Hatchet talked to Sesno, a former CNN Washington bureau chief, about the behind-the-scenes process and how scripts are like handcuffs.
Hatchet: What attracted you to “Reliable Sources”?
Sesno: It’s a critical program for CNN and it’s a vital program for the public. The media spends its time scrutinizing every system in the world. And this show allows us to spend some time scrutinizing the media. This is a very important and very interesting program that gives media the opportunity to hold up both a magnifying glass and act as a mirror. And the media owes the public that degree of explanation and accountability.
Hatchet: How did you get involved with the show?
Sesno: I have been involved with CNN for a long time and I had been over there before as a panelist. I’m now doing it because of my current association with GW and my fascination and knowledge of media. I have had the pleasure and the privilege of doing a lot of things in the news business. I also have a deep appreciation for different types of journalism, the role of journalism, and the different implications and shortcomings of journalism. I love the show and I love doing the show because I know that people are fascinated, provoked, outraged, inspired, and informed by the media they consume. This is how people understand their world.
Hatchet: What is prep work like?
Sesno: I speak with several of the guests, and I look at what other guests have written and done. I talk to other people in the business and think about how I want to approach certain things. I use my own judgment, curiosity, and sense of news to figure out what is topical. CNN has a tremendous, permanent production team that works on the show and I kick around ideas with them. We start early in the week where I send them a memo with several bullet points, and the producers send me one back with their responses and ideas. There’s a lot of back and forth with the background for the production team, a brainstorming stew early in the week.
Then, we start thinking about who guests might be and who could really round out some of these issues. We start thinking about who would be available, who would be a fascinating person to hear from, or who would have a really interesting point of view on something. So for this week we are doing something very unusual and we are booking a member of Congress.
Hatchet: How do you approach your interview questions?
Sesno: I don’t script questions because then they sound like they are scripted. And they also are like handcuffs. If you’re interviewing somebody you have to know the topic well enough, you have to listen very carefully, you have to act with instinct, and the last thing you want to do is work off a script.
