WESA's Morning Edition host Priyanka Tewari spoke to David Greene, award winning journalist, and NYTimes best selling author, about his Pittsburgh roots, his time as Morning Edition host, and the complicated balance of being a moderator on "Left, Right & Center." The show from KCRW is a weekly "civilized yet provocative" discussion about politics, policy, and pop culture.
Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Priyanka Tewari: You spent your youth in Pittsburgh. In fact, you lived in Shadyside. Do you still have friends here? Do you visit at all?
David Greene: You know, it's funny, I grew up in a lot of different places in Kentucky, in Florida, in Pittsburgh, in Lancaster, Pa. And so it's always hard to think about what I consider my hometown. But it's really Pittsburgh. I feel such a connection whenever I come back. And I'm probably more of a diehard sports fan than my wife would like because I scream during Steelers games. The Pittsburgh Pirates slide this year has been devastating, and there have been some tears and things thrown across the room. But yeah, Pittsburgh's in my blood.
Tewari: So when did you actually catch the radio bug?
Greene: You know, I'm told by my father — and my mother before she passed — the same thing. I had a toy microphone when I was a toddler. That was my favorite toy. So I think it was pretty early on high school, I did the morning announcements, but we called it a radio show, the "Bob, Dave & Lon Show," so I was definitely moving towards radio. I went into newspapers, but came to NPR and got back into radio in 2005. Apparently one of the questions [in a college application] was, "What do you envision being in 10 years?" And I said, being a reporter or a host for public radio. So it's it's definitely been stirring in me for a long time. But, yeah, I love it.
Tewari: Since you left Morning Edition, is there anything you miss about that time of your life and being on that show?
Greene: I miss a lot. I feel so lucky and privileged to have been able to decide to leave a job and leave a place that I still love so much. I mean, that job every morning, it's an honor. I mean, to be waking up with an audience and guiding listeners through the beginning of their day. So I loved my job.
It just felt like I wanted a new chapter and to try, you know, different things. And the funny thing is, I told myself, my friends, everyone, I wanted to get away, as far away from politics as possible for a while. The Jan. 6 insurrection was a couple weeks after I left. That was the first big story that I wasn't at the center of at all. It felt weird, but it also felt liberating. But then this show "Left, Right and Center," it's weekly, it's very step back. It's not in the thick of the headlines. And so it's a wonderful way for me to kind of dip back into politics in a more thoughtful, reflective way, with space to ask questions and have real conversations. And I hope that I've brought that kind of vibe to our audience.
Tewari: Can you think of a guest or a conversation, or perhaps even a perspective that caught you off guard, or maybe surprised you when you're doing the show?
Greene: Yeah, I think I'm surprised. Every week we have two regular panelists, Mo Elleithee on the left and Sarah Isgur on the right, and they actually go way back. They're friends, they met while working at the RNC and DNC, at food trucks outside those two buildings when they were both there. And even though they come from different places politically, they're friends.
And I think that's really important. I think every conversation about politics today, it's better to come to the table and think about what you share before you get into the the hard stuff. And I think Sarah and Mo bring that. So whenever they agree, I think that's really a fresh surprise. I will say, some of the early conversations we had about Israel and Gaza after Oct. 7, I was a little surprised by how tense it got. And I think that reflected a lot of the hard conversations that we were all having. I think there's a surprise every week, and I just hope it's refreshing and a departure from our really angry political discourse.
Tewari: Sometimes I think that a host is more like a moderator. We're not really here to express an opinion, but rather, put questions to our guests, present the facts, and then let the audience decide for themselves. But do you, on this show, find that you do express your opinion, which may even betray your leanings on a particular topic? Or you're... giving both sides... [as in:] "You guys do the talking and I'm just here to moderate?"
Greene: I am so happy you asked that question, because it really taps into something that I've struggled and grappled with in this job. I think it really is a complicated balance that I try and tackle every week. And I think the key for me is I just want to be transparent to our audience about what's happening, you know, and be authentic.
I bring myself into the conversation when it feels right, and I don't want to shy away from from having a strong opinion about an issue or something I heard. I also want people to trust that I'm there as their guide, and sort of the stand-in for all of you, our listeners, to guide the conversation along and sort of keep a vibrant conversation going from different perspectives.
It's really hard because I spent years as a journalist trying never to bring my own opinion into the space. But this show, it's really an interesting balance.
"Left, Right & Center" will air on 90.5 FM WESA every Saturday 4-5 p.m.
The audio was edited by Susan Scott Peterson.
