Erik Spanberg covers government, sports business, hospitality and airlines at the Charlotte Business Journal (CBJ). He was kind enough to enjoy a quick cup of coffee with Trisha and me to tell us about his adventures in journalism. Learn more about Erik from our Q&A below.
Q: What is your favorite beat to cover and why?
Probably sports business and government because they have the most strife and chaos. While very different, they are similar in that they are still both about winning and losing. And, most people like sports and/or politics, so that makes it interesting to cover.
Q: What is your source of story ideas?
I come up with ideas, our editors and other staff writers provide ideas, and sometimes public relations people like yourself. Plus, you oftentimes just look at what’s going on; if you had a soccer story you were thinking about, now would be a good time to write it.
Q: What is the best interview you ever conducted? Who is the most famous person you’ve ever interviewed?
A couple of months ago I was co-hosting on Bo Thompson’s morning show on WBT and we had the impressionist comedian Frank Caliendo in the studio. He may not be the most famous but he was certainly the most entertaining interview I’ve ever done. And as for famous people, I think I would say the late Paul Newman, who spoke to me and a small group of reporters when the Petty NASCAR family built the Victory Junction camp for sick and disabled children. Sadly, he did not share his salad dressing recipe with me.
Q: How do you feel that the political landscape in Charlotte has evolved?
Politics in Charlotte is much more popular and active since I first moved to Charlotte 20 years ago. Recently, we’ve held the DNC here, we have one former mayor who is governor, and another former mayor who is part of President Obama’s cabinet.
Q: From a reporter’s perspective, how do you feel the Bobcats to Hornets change will impact your writing?
Bob Johnson and the Bobcats became a mess of a franchise. He said some dumb things, in other cases, some people around town didn’t provide as much support as Bob thought they would and the whole thing just fell apart. The team was mostly lousy, they lost tens of millions of dollars every year, and nobody liked the name or the logo. Now the Hornets name is coming back at the same time the team is getting better on the court and Michael Jordan seems to be finding his footing as an owner. People have an interest and hope in the NBA in Charlotte again and for me, as a reporter, it’s good to have something to write other than Groundhog Day versions of lose-lose-lose.
Q: How do you feel like you the CBJ has evolved?
The digital tide has certainly changed the way we work. The CBJ used to just be a weekly publication that came out on Fridays. Now, it’s a constant conversation with social media playing a big part in that. It makes us more relevant because we’re covering things every step of the way — not just once a week. Now we can take it every step of the way and that makes a big difference. And we’re doing more with TV, with radio and so on.
Q: How can communications professionals stand out and catch your attention?
I always tell people to think about ALL sections of the paper; there is an entrepreneur profile; someone could author a column or essay offering his/her point of view or opinion; if a company has someone that could serve as an expert, that is always useful — the key is to think about all different avenues. Also, photos are great as we sometimes include those in the back of the paper. Additionally, as you know, media is fragile. Sometimes it’s just all about the day that you catch us. On a slower day, for example, there may be more opportunity.