I May Not Be the Taricani Whisperer, But I Am One of the Longest Friends
Monday, June 24, 2019
I was 19 and he was 21 and we both had big dreams of big journalism and had come of age in the age of Watergate. We worked together in radio at WKRI in West Warwick where you couldn’t flush the toilet when the on-air light was on and we had to verify every story we used because we didn’t pay for a wire service. It was tremendous training.
We both also worked at W-I-C-E in Providence where I produced Sherm Strickhouser and Jack Comley talk shows in the mornings and Jim did afternoon news drive. They called us the playpen kids, but could see that we meant to do it right.
And, despite the fact that Jim still was asked to use a wasp-moniker. Jim Roberts, we were given chances well beyond our curricula vitae.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWe ran in tandem, Taricani and I from then on: Jim always a jump or two ahead – to WEAN Radio to RI Public television where I was News Director and Jim (with Gary Scurka) did his first television investigative piece on dumping and politics and monetization of trash hauling from here to New Jersey. The Rhode Island legislature got squeamish and dropped the idea of producing news in favor of sticking to public affairs.
He was still Jim Roberts when he landed in commercial television at WPRI; but by the time he made the jump to WJAR-TV where he would stay he was Jim Taricani as Rhode Island as a clamcake and as loved.
They were heady times in journalism in the 70’s and we all shared apparent limitless opportunities. We worshipped each other and those that had paved the way. Jack White, Randy Richard, and the Providence Journal were winning Pulitzers. There were dozens of radio broadcasters playing well outside the hourly time and temperatures.
Soon Jim would realize his dream: an I-Team of his own and a hunk of prime time called Ten Inside to mold. Scurka, who went on to work at CBS News, 60 Minutes, and National Geographic Explorer was the first fulltime I-Team producer at WJAR-10 and I was the last.
Christianne Amanpour, who went on to CNN International, Global Affairs, and PBS, was an intern.
When Jim became a national symbol of honor in journalisms high pulpits for doing time rather than revealing a source, she flew to his side in solidarity.
In fact, as the tributes have been pouring in, I’ve been most touched by how many young reporters he nurtured and helped and supported every step of the way. I felt the same way when Jim became a big brother and shared his guitar skills (and backstage connections) with a very lucky kid.
And, through it all, he never never never betrayed a source or violated a trust or ever had a star attitude. Taricani was always the first in the newsroom in the morning and never the first to leave. The first to laugh and the last to stop.
His passing does end an era. As Gary Scurka said Sunday: I owe Jim a lot”. As former I-Team photographer Bob (‘Emy’) Emerson put Friday: “I gave up drinking years ago, but dammit, I’m starting to get thirsty”.
Polly Reynolds was Jim Taricani's long-time friend and producer.
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- I May Not Be the Taricani Whisperer, But I Am One of the Longest Friends