Shout-free zone

Like many Americans, regardless of political affiliation, Chris Smith has grown increasingly disappointed with the tone of political discourse. His unease hit an apex after the 2016 presidential election.

“I was noticing there was a big chunk on the left and right who couldn’t talk to each other anymore,” he told the CN&R. “I think there’s also a big chunk in the middle … that can still talk and we’re seeing this degradation. Those of us on the sidelines have let our civil institutions degrade.”

Smith counted himself among those “watching from the sidelines” even though he’d “been somebody who’d always been interested in politics.” At that point, he continued, “I figured it was time to stop sitting around, step up as a citizen and start trying to do something.”

What Smith does for a living is television and video production. In fact, he’s won two regional Emmys for his work with teens on public service announcements. (See “The Emmy goes to …,” Scene, July 5, 2012.)

So, when he discovered that friends Mike Richman and Aaron Haar wanted to launch a podcast offering politicians and other community members a forum for expressing their ideas, he jumped on as a producer.

“Building a place where rational people on the left and right can talk intelligently, without shouting, is something I figured I could contribute,” Smith added.

Along with Ben Weddell, who works for Smith at RocketSpots TV in Paradise, they’ve created NorCal News Now—a recurring program that streams online via Facebook as well as YouTube. It debuted in April 2017 as an audio podcast, upgrading to video this past February after 18 episodes.

“Every time we could come in and do a show, Aaron would look longingly at those cameras and go, ‘Can’t we just do this on video?’” Richman recalled with a chuckle. “We started doing it, and it’s really changed the equation.”

Richman hosts; Haar provides political commentary; both interview guests. Weddell, as co- producer and booker, brings in people from across party lines: Democrats such as congressional candidate Audrey Denney and Senate challenger Kevin de León; Republicans such as Travis Allen, who lost the gubernatorial primary; even a democratic socialist, David Hildebrand, who ran against de León in June.

Monday (Oct. 15), NorCal News Now will hold its first public event—a forum for Chico City Council candidates—which it will broadcast two days later (see infobox).

Richman brings journalistic credentials to the interview desk. A Rutgers grad, he came to Chico in 2000 to write for Magical Blend magazine, then moved to Quality Digest in 2004, becoming publisher the next year. For that business-to-business publication, Richman decided in 2011 that video content was essential, so he added a weekly show—Quality Digest Live—to the website. (See “Quality control,” 15 Minutes, May 8, 2014.)

He hired Smith as his producer.

Haar, whom Richman met soon after moving from New Jersey, is active in statewide Democratic politics. He managed the 2016 congressional campaign for Jim Reed, who lost to GOP incumbent Doug LaMalfa—whom, by the way, Richman hopes they can book for NorCal News Now. Haar also serves as a Chico city parks commissioner, appointed by progressive City Councilman Karl Ory.

“He’s a partisan—he would own up to it as well,” Richman said of Haar. “He’s supported progressive candidates, he’s an operative.

“His knowledge is terrific, but on both sides of the equation. He knows the strategy and tactics on the other side, as well. For color commentary, he’s valuable.”

When booking guests, Richman said producers “make that [affiliation] real clear … and I don’t hide the fact that I’m left-leaning, too.” He considers himself “a centrist” and, by asking about biographical information and broad ideas instead of political minutiae, Richman feels he counterbalances his co-host.

“I don’t feel a real need to editorialize,” Richman added. “I feel our job is to ask good questions and give our guests two, three minutes to spread out and really say what they’re thinking. Yeah, follow up—but in a respectful way.”

As for a political tone for the show, “I always try to drag it to the middle regardless of who the guest is.”