At Palau Wave Radio, with energetic host Jennifer Sugiyama

"You Have a Face Made for Radio"
These were the exact words spoken to me by a snarky professor during my college years. Despite this (or perhaps because of it), I've always loved radio. As I told my trainees here in Palau today, radio was my first professional kiss.

It was with great excitement, then, that I accepted an invitation to appear on Jennifer Sugiyama's talk show this afternoon on Palau Wave Radio. A recording of the program can be found here. 

She began the show by kindly listing the sponsors* of the project I'm conducting here and previously in Guam. (See previous posts below). Jennifer is a perceptive and lively interviewer, and our chat was interesting (or, as interesting as it could be with me as a guest).

I was fascinated by her question about whether journalists should publicize that a death was by suicide. Jennifer said this is a common practice here. While avoiding telling my Palauan colleagues what to do, I said that I would never provide the detail that a death was suicide, and that to do so can re-victimize the family of the deceased. (It's different with celebrities, but we didn't get into that). Then, we discussed disinformation, peace journalism, and how to best engage young reporters.

Thanks, Jennifer and Palau Wave Radio, for the platform, and reminder that, whatever my face may look like, I still love radio.

Next week: A wrap up of my Palau-Guam peace journalism project for the East-West Center.

*Sponsors: The East-West Center, Glimpses Media, Sentry Hospitality, Wyndham Garden Hotel Guam, Subway Restaurants, United Airlines, the University of Guam, Tumon Sands Plaza, Chili's Grill and Bar, GFS Group, the Embassy of the United States of America in Palau, the Palasia Hotel Palau, the Palau Ministry of State, Office of the President of Palau, Sam's Tours, and Surangel & Sons.