Transcripts

CHRIS ROBERTS: Seldom does the editor of a newspaper have to write an explanation of why a particular individual was hired. But Robin Dockterman, Editor of the Minneapolis-based Equal Time newspaper, wrote a column defending her decision to hire Aron Pilhofer as news editor.

You see, Pilhofer is straight and Equal Time exists to serve the gay and lesbian community. Dockterman said Pilhofer was the best qualified applicant, even though he is not a member of the community. Aron Pilhofer joins me now in the studio. Thanks for stopping by.

ARON PILHOFER: Thank you.

CHRIS ROBERTS: As a straight person, as a heterosexual, why were you interested in working for a gay newspaper, or did you even look at it in those terms?

ARON PILHOFER: I actually didn't. I simply applied for a job for which I felt I was qualified. And you have to have a little bit of background here. When Robin took over as editor just this fall, she and the publisher, Nancy Walker, both have a vision of where they want to take Equal Time.

And the newspaper went weekly just recently. I think back in September, it used to be twice monthly. And it became readily apparent they needed to add staff and they needed to shore up the news department.

Both of them have a vision for Equal Time that includes a more comprehensive approach to covering news. I think that's why they wanted to hire a news editor. I applied for the job, and I think that Robin hired me in part because I bring in an outsider's view to the news.

CHRIS ROBERTS: What do you mean an outsider's view?

ARON PILHOFER: Well, obviously, I'm not in the community. I haven't specifically worked for some of the other community publications. There are gays magazine. But I do bring, I guess, a fresh viewpoint to the position.

I think what they want to do ultimately is make Equal Time a newspaper that is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender issue-focused, but also one that anybody on the street or anywhere can pick up and really get something out of. And I think in that capacity, I think I can add a lot.

CHRIS ROBERTS: When you were hired, some people were worried about whether they could trust you to cover stories of interest to gays and lesbians, and bisexuals and transgender people without having the understanding of what it's like to live that kind of life, to be gay in this society. How do you respond?

ARON PILHOFER: Well, I think I separate that into two different issues. On the one hand, they're right. There's no way I will ever understand what it's like to grow up knowing that I'm gay, go through the tumultuous and very difficult process of coming out. Obviously, I will never be able to do that, understand that.

But it's not entirely my role at the newspaper to determine what gets covered and how it gets covered. It's a process that we go through weekly. It's a staff process. There's a team of writers, regular staff writers. We go about deciding what to cover as a group. So it's not just me.

So on one hand, the coverage is determined by the writers more than it is by me. And on the other hand, obviously, how that all ends up in the wash, I guess, you'll just have to have to wait and see. The proof, I guess, will be in the pudding.

CHRIS ROBERTS: Well, how would you distinguish between the way Equal Time covers a story compared to the Star Tribune or the Pioneer Press?

ARON PILHOFER: I think we have a deeper understanding of those issues just based on the fact that we are blessed to have a staff of extremely talented, extremely knowledgeable writers. And I think that we can approach issues in a way that the Star Tribune can't. We can find sources that I think would never talk to the Star Tribune that will talk to us.

And I think that when we approach an organization, an individual as Equal Time, I think that they will see that as a less threatening situation than if a Star Tribune reporter called them out of the blue.

And I think they would have more trust that what Equal Time does with their story will be in keeping with what they really mean and what they say as opposed to-- sometimes the mainstream media can twist words and put slants on things that really they don't deserve to have.

CHRIS ROBERTS: How have you been received by gays and lesbians?

ARON PILHOFER: Well, that's hard to say. I know that there's some folks who are not pleased that I'm there, and for the reasons we discussed already. Obviously, I'm not a member of the community. And I think that they are right. I mean, they're absolutely right.

Others have expressed positive-- they've said positive things about it. I've had a couple of people come up to me and say, great, I'm glad you're at Equal Time. It's nice to see. And I think it's been-- overall, it's been fairly positive.

CHRIS ROBERTS: You were talking about how Equal Time, since it's gone weekly, is still focused on gay and lesbian issues, but is trying to present those issues in a way that would appeal to anyone.

ARON PILHOFER: Well, I think that's happening everywhere. I mean, I think last year was a watershed year for what we are calling here gay-lesbian issues. The line obviously blurs in a lot of situations.

Next week, you'll see a story in Equal Time that deals with the Ryan White Act and the issues surrounding the application for funds under that act by Minnesota, by the Department of Health.

And that's a good example. AIDS is a good example. It's an issue, it's a disease that cuts across all sorts of lines and it's not specifically a gay issue. But that's sort of what I mean when I say we want to approach it, we want to be more accessible for folks.

CHRIS ROBERTS: I was wondering if you would go so far to say the fact that the paper has hired you means that the paper is trying to reach a straight audience.

ARON PILHOFER: My perception is that it's an issue that is certainly going to come up in the future, again, because as these issues become-- as the line between what constitutes a gay, quote unquote, "issue" blurs, I think you're going to find, as Robin said in her piece, that there will be a lot of straight people who are going to want to stand hand in hand on the front lines and say, all right, I'm with you here. What can I do?