Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

GOVERNOR'S RACE

Young journalists prove mettle

By Matt Wickenheiser mwickenheiser@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

WESTBROOK -- One of the five people sitting in front of the cameras will be elected governor this November, and their hosts pressed each to answer questions on complex topics ranging from energy policy to the economy.

The two moderators forced the candidates to respond to personal criticisms, and tactfully prodded them with political aplomb when their answers didn't quite match the questions.

The two are veterans on the political scene -- never mind the fact that one's not old enough to vote and the other is just a few years older.

In a political reportage coup, the first Maine gubernatorial forum featuring all five candidates was hosted by Youth in Politics moderators Justin Chenette, 19, and Logan Leavitt, 17. Chenette, a well-known figure in Saco for his work on local political programs, was host of the WPME program, and recruited Leavitt, a Deering High senior, a year ago to take over as he headed off to college. Chenette came back to the show to co-host the gubernatorial forum, a capstone on the work both youths have done.

Both have political reporting chops here in Maine. Over the past year, Leavitt has done one-on-one interviews with all the gubernatorial candidates, ahead of the primaries. He's interviewed U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud and Maine Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree. Chenette has interviewed a number of public figures, including Gov. John Baldacci, U.S. Rep. Hannah Pingree and former U.S. Rep. Tom Allen.

Leavitt said he's learned to think on his feet, because nothing ever goes quite to plan on a TV show. He said he researches each interview subject, and tries to make his questions timely, addressing issues in the news. He doesn't shy away from hard questions, he said, because viewers would want them asked.

"Just because we're youth doesn't mean we're going to go easy on you," said Leavitt.

Often times, subjects are a bit thrown off by the age of the interviewers, said Chenette, and don't expect hardball questions. But, like Leavitt, he takes his job as a journalist seriously. Politicians try to address questions with their standard rhetoric, said Chenette, and its his job to try to delve through that, get real information to voters.

"I think journalism is a service to the community," said Chenette. "Journalism is an opportunity to be government watchdogs - we are the soldiers in the democratic process."

Dudley Davis is executive producer of the program. His job is to make sure the show has studio time and whatever support is needed. Youth run the cameras, host the shows, book guests and come up with the questions. A number of young people have worked on the show and gone on to careers in broadcast, Davis said. One is a producer with CNN in New York. Lindsay Alston, who was directing and running a camera on Sunday, graduated from Emerson College and is interviewing with HBO, said Davis.

Leavitt said he plans to attend college after graduation, with an interest in politics and broadcast. His parents, Fred and Mona Leavitt, said their son was never afraid of an audience, or of pushing his limits. As a seventh-grader at Lyman Moore Middle School in North Deering, he organized a fund-raiser for the Maine Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society, bringing 13 reality stars from shows such as "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" to Portland for the event.

"He seems to have that ability to just step it up," said his dad.

Proud? Both parents burst out laughing.

"How could you not be?" asked his mother. "He's an amazing kid."