LAGAN SEBERT WINS 2008 MERRIMAN AWARD
Journalism >> LAGAN SEBERT WINS 2008 MERRIMAN AWARD
By Lagan Sebert,SOC Graduate Broadcast Student
The 2008 Writers Guild-East Awards was supposed to be a low-key reception honoring some of the best entertainment and news writing of the year. Instead the event turned into a rousing event celebrating a tentative strike agreement signed that day. I found myself surrounded by scores of great writers—all of them in a jovial mood.
I was presented with my award by Writers Guild East president Michael Winship to applause from filmmakers Ethan Coen and Michael Moore among others.
I had rewritten a short acceptance speech countless times, paying tribute to John Merriman and the integrity and commitment to story craft that he espoused, but in the end it was a night of celebration—not speeches. I gave a nervous wave instead. The rest of the night resembled a raucous comedy show.
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog proclaimed that over the last few months writers had shown their commitment to mill around and network indoors and outdoors, “And we will keep networking until we have a deal we can be proud of!"
The night’s host, Saturday Night Live writer and Weekend Update anchor, Seth Meyers touted his “world’s best striker” mug proudly as he nailed strike joke after strike joke. (These guys have had a lot of time on their hands to prepare.)
The informality of the event allowed me to talk about writing with writers from ABC News, CBS News, Saturday Night Live and HBO’s The Wire. For journalists and fiction writers alike the goal to tell a good story that matters seemed constant.
On the train-ride back to Washington, I looked out on the sagging rooflines and crumbling bricks of Baltimore as I meditated on The Wire’s plotline of the downfall of a Baltimore newsroom. For me the urban decay emphasized the importance of good journalism, not its passing. In times of change in the news industry, the journalistic integrity that John Merriman represents is as important now as ever.
