We all know WVXU’s Bill Rinehart as an outstanding reporter and local host of All Things Considered each weekday afternoon. Several years ago, the Nebraska native put his innate curiosity to the test by tackling the feature we call OKI Wanna Know. Listeners are encouraged to share that odd or offbeat question about something local that’s been bugging them.
So, here’s our question to Bill:
And why?
If you love Bill’s investigations, reporting, and on-air work–consider showing some support today!
“The why is because there’s a lot around here that exists or happens and it’s just always been that way. As a reporter and a non-native, I have questions. And I discovered, so do our listeners, so we created OKI Wanna Know.”
“It all starts with the questions. I’ll go through the submissions looking for that gee-whiz factor. Does it catch my sense of curiosity? Then I do the preliminary research. Is the question even answerable? Is there an expert out there who can help me? Who do I already know who can direct me to the right people?”
“I also try to avoid questions I’ve seen answered elsewhere. If someone here, or at another outlet has done a story on a topic and answered the question, it’s a definite no-go. Like the esteemed Dr. Know, at Cincinnati Magazine.”
“Once the question is chosen, I’ll talk with the person who submitted it just to make sure I’m clear on what they are asking…I don’t want to find an answer to a misconstrued question.”
“Then comes all the research: finding the experts, contacting them, preliminary interviews, recording interviews, and if it’s practical, going to the site of the question for photos.”
“Probably the hardest part is answering the question in the approximately 4 minutes I have on-air. Some questions bring forth a lot of history, others can get deep into technology or engineering, and others seem to have multiple accepted answers. Fortunately, I have the written story on the website that I can expand if I need to.”
Editor’s Note: One of the most popular questions ever submitted to ‘OKI Wanna Know’ was: “Can you really drink the water at Fountain Square?“
Yes.
Yes, you can…
Scroll down to see the rest of Bill’s OKI Wanna Know photoshoot by his favorite coworker, Ronny Salerno.
