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The podcast begins with a poetic introduction that sets a somber and reflective mood, highlighting the serious nature of journalism and the search for truth in the darkness. The host, Tripping Raul, takes the listener through an example of her commitment to journalistic diligence by recounting her most impactful story—a story she was not able to showcase during a job interview that she ultimately did not secure.

Tripping Raul reminisces about the story of a developmentally disabled young man falsely accused of rape, which she investigated while working at a small newspaper. The young man, who had moved from Southeast Colorado to Florida with his family, was extradited back to Colorado where Raul had taken a position as editor after leaving the New Mexico daily. Despite local sentiment against the man, Raul was not convinced of his guilt after receiving a desperate call from the man’s father.

The story delves into the investigation process, during which Raul discovered a lack of evidence, thin accusations, and a crucial piece of information—confirmation that the young man was not even in town when the crime occurred. She also mentions a request from his attorney to temporarily withhold this information to prevent potential manipulation of charges by the district attorney.

Tripping Raul comments on the limitations of recalling events from 30 years ago and acknowledges the imperfection of her memory. She categorizes the story as “historical fiction” but maintains that it is based on fact. Despite the article not having a visible impact initially, Raul continues her investigation, even facing resistance from a mental institution to which the young man was transferred.

Raul’s persistence leads to a cascade of inquiries within the legal system, which eventually results in the family being offered a deal for the young man’s release. The family, eager to bring their son home, accepts the deal, although it leaves a permanent stain on his record. Raul honors the family’s request to deliver newspaper copies with the published article to the young man at the bus station before his departure to Florida, providing a poignant moment as they meet in person for the first time.

The episode concludes with the host comparing this story’s significance to her coverage of a wide range of harrowing events throughout her career, reaffirming that despite the grim facets of the profession and her eventual transition to a more family-friendly role in communications, it remains the story that makes her proudest. Looking back, she regrets the lack of digital archives to revisit these old articles, and she invites listeners to the next episode, where she will unearth another story from her past, promising it to be equally intriguing and disturbing.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:46 — 8.9MB)

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In this episode of “Journalism 101 with Tripping Raul”, the host, Tripping Raul, discusses a contentious event from her past involving teacher raises and student programs at a school board meeting. Tripping Raul starts with an atmospheric introduction before welcoming the audience to the episode. She briefly mentions her past experience working with podcasters and her impartial journalistic perspective, which she attributes to her Libra sign.

Raul reflects on the stereotype of aggressive reporters in the media, specifically citing the character Richard Thornburg from the movie “Die Hard,” which she criticizes for negative journalism. She gives an anecdote about being underestimated in professional settings due to her appearance, which she believes allowed her to overhear and report on sensitive issues accurately.

Next, the host recounts a specific incident from the early 1990s when she was at a New Mexico school board meeting. Teachers demanded raises and suggested cutting student programs to fund their salary increases. Raul, shocked by their stance, compared their salaries to her own and decided to write an editorial expressing her disappointment, which she admits may have been too harsh.

The response from the teachers was severe. They picketed her and had a physical confrontation with her husband, who was navigating the crowd with their infant son. Raul describes how one teacher, who passed away shortly after, had assured her husband that the protest wasn’t personal against her but was directed at the newspaper’s perceived bias.

After the experience, during which she had to stand in front of a TV news crew and comment on the situation, Raul dealt with the aftereffects at her workplace. She reflects on the backlash and the subsequent publication of letters written by the educators. Despite her understanding of the teachers’ position, she stood by her view that student programs should not be sacrificed for raises.

Raul ends the episode contemplating teachers’ salaries, noting they haven’t increased substantially since the nineties. She once again contrasts herself with journalists like Thornburg and remarks on the different motivations that lead people into teaching. Tripping Raul concludes with a recognition of dedicated journalists and teachers who work for the betterment of society.

She invites listeners to contact her with their thoughts or stories and teases the next episode’s topic, which will focus on a proud moment in her reporting career. The show closes, leaving the audience to consider the delicate balance between the salaries of educators and the needs of students.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:33 — 6.0MB)

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In this episode, Tripping Raul opens by discussing an unconventional method she has employed to create her podcast’s intro and outro. She uses a service called “Suno” which automatically generates jingles based on given topics and keywords. Raul hints that she’s still figuring out some technical aspects of audio editing using Audacity but assures listeners she is adamant about continuing to learn.

The focus of this episode is the ethical considerations in quoting people in journalism, particularly those who are considered mentally unstable by society. Tripping Raul shares her experience with quoting individuals verbatim during her time as a sports reporter at a major daily newspaper and contrasts it with the practices of a competing newspaper that opted to clean up quotes. She expresses her preference for maintaining the integrity of people’s speech, including their verbal nuances.

Raul then recounts her encounters with two interesting characters at a small New Mexico daily newspaper. She references an interview with a conspiracy theorist named Tim, who had peculiar views on the state of the country and was known for flying the U.S. flag upside down as a distress signal. Raul discussed the importance of capturing both sides of any story, although she mentions an instance when she couldn’t do so due to a lack of response from the opposing view.

She details Tim’s relationship with the newsroom. Tim appreciated Raul for accurately quoting him, unlike her colleague Bill, who admittedly altered Tim’s quotes to make him appear more stable. Raul states that it was important to quote Tim exactly as he spoke because he believed what he was saying was rational.

Tripping Raul also hints at another strong story involving a cancer patient’s drastic actions which she plans to discuss in a future episode. She shares briefly about her continued friendship with Bill and his eventual death, as well as her dismissal from the newspaper after the publisher claimed divine instruction.

The episode takes a sober turn as Tripping Raul talks about death. While journalism school taught her to report death in a straightforward manner, she personally disagrees with this approach. Raul then reveals that Tim died sometime after she left the New Mexico daily, his death was ruled as a suicide because he fell from a scaffolding. She hints at skepticism surrounding the circumstances of his death given his controversial nature.

The episode concludes with Tripping Raul promising to maintain a weekly posting schedule and teases the next episode’s topic about being picketed.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:23 — 8.5MB)

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In Episode 2, TR reflects on her time as a beat reporter in the 1990s and early 2000s, covering various grim and sensational events, including accidents, murders, and cannibalism. She shares the story from a past assignment focused on the horrific aftermath of a single-person plane crash in a field in arid Northern New Mexico.

At the beginning of the podcast, TR explains the unconventional pronunciation of her pseudonym, “Tripping Raul,” derived from a humorous family incident involving their husky puppy named Raul. She continues by setting the scene of her arrival at the accident site, where she had to park about an acre away and was briefed by a stationed officer.

As TR walks towards the crash site, led by the officer, she notes the destruction path of the plane – apparent from the debris and impacted earth. She describes finding a prescription lens on the ground, which leads her to speculate whether it belonged to the pilot. She’s then escorted by another officer to a vantage point that offers a clearer view of the extensive damage.

She recounts the officer’s advice to keep her distance owing to the unbearable smell of the burned body. Despite being out of the stench’s range, TR takes a deep breath but only smells the burned brush. She talks about her preparation for this moment through her education in journalism and notes how she took in the scene without the assistance of photographers which was common in her reporting days.

TR surmises the crash impact based on the placement of the wreckage and the lack of discernible features on the remains, emphasizing the plane’s and pilot’s disintegration upon impact. She indicates that by the time of her arrival, the fire department had likely doused the scene to extinguish any burning materials.

After collecting the necessary details for her report, including the who, what, when, where, and why of the incident, TR heads back to the newspaper office. There, she informs her colleagues about the accident, and one of them, Bill, recognizes the pilot’s name from a previous interview. Bill finds an old edition of the newspaper featuring an article about the pilot, who had been working on a tool to boost the power of single-seat planes. The photo with the article shows the pilot wearing glasses with lenses that match the one TR noticed at the crash site.

TR ends the episode by suggesting improvement in future episodes and teases the topic of the next installment, which will deal with quoting individuals society views as “crazy.”

Throughout the episode, TR highlights the limitations of memory and reporting by emphasizing that her account is based on her recollections and interpretations of events, and she generally refrains from using real names to protect the identities of victims and those involved.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:35 — 6.0MB)

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The episode titled “First Fatal of Tripping Raul” begins with an atmospheric introduction, setting a dark and mysterious tone for the podcast, hinting at secrets and the pursuit of truth in journalism.

Tripping Raul opens the podcast by reflecting on newspaper reporting in the late 20th century, contrasting it with what she perceives as the less scrupulous reporting of the 21st century. She provides listeners with her background, noting that she was a beat reporter for a few years primarily in the 90s to early 2000s, and has since worked as a content editor, writer, and is now exploring artificial intelligence in podcasting.

TR acknowledges that her first podcast episode will probably not be perfect, as she expects it to “suck” like many others’ early attempts. She then dives into a specific story from her time as a beat reporter in New Mexico, about a fatal car accident on a highway connecting Colorado and New Mexico.

She recounts being called to the scene late at night and reflects on her childhood fears of monstrous visions and presences in her room, questioning her choice of profession given the macabre scenes typically associated with it. Despite this, she goes on to describe the accident: a drunken man driving a Toyota truck crossed into oncoming traffic, causing a collision with a Chevy Blazer.

While the teenagers in the Chevy Blazer survived and were taken to the hospital, the driver of the Toyota was killed. TR describes approaching the crash site, observing the tarp-covered truck and the still, twisted body of the deceased driver from the window of his truck, untouched by the dashboard or steering wheel due to his twisted position. She notes the irony of the dead man’s uncomfortable-looking position and his beautiful hair, which she finds a pity given that it no longer mattered.

The episode concludes with TR inviting her audience to subscribe and teasing the next episode about a one-seater plane crash.

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