Meet the Media: Jesse Chambers, Starnes Media
Peritus launches its "Meet the Media" series, a Q&A where we chat all things journalism, reporting and PR and have a little fun, too. Our first MTM features Jesse Chambers from Starnes Media.
Q: Alright, let’s start at the beginning, Jesse. Where are you from?
A: Born and raised in Birmingham. I grew up in East Lake, went to Banks High School. I lived in Tuscaloosa off and on, up in the Pacific Northwest for a while, LA, New York, Brookline, Mass. You know, it’s true what Truman Capote says: All Southerners eventually return home, even if only in a pine box!
Q: How did you get started?
A: I started at University of Alabama in 1975 as a communications major. I’d been the sports editor at my high school paper, and I wanted to be a sports writer. Well, I dropped out Spring 1976, and when I went back, I was an English major and thought I’d be a professional writer, poet… I was always writing poetry, fragments and short stories. Then I got my first job as a reporter.
Q: What’s a story you’re proud to have written?
A: I did a project at Starnes in 2017. I thought it up and saw it through—it was called “NY Stories.” I found one person from each of our seven coverage areas who had gone to New York and were now living there, doing something cool. You know, New York is this place of dreams for artists and entertainers in the South. We dream of going there. So I put out a call on all seven websites and Facebook pages, accepting nominations for people living in New York that would be interesting to read about in the hometown paper. I went to New York for a week and met all of these people in person, at their work or whatever. I took a Nikon, and I shot the photos, completed the interviews, wrote the stories. The stories ran over a period of two to three months. I’m proud of that one. I may be wrong, but I doubt very seriously that any other feature writer at a small community newspaper has done anything quite like this.
Q: Do you think that’s the highlight of your career? Or the most proud moment?
A: Being forced out of my comfort zone when I was working at AL.com—I’m pretty proud of that. I’d get a call at 5 in the morning that I needed to go cover a tornado that just touched down, or I’d hear at 11p.m. on the police scanner that there was a shooting so I’m driving to the location… I’d get in some uncomfortable situations. I liken it to Marines who go through boot camp: it’s miserable during, but after the fact, you’re so proud of what you’ve done.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Birmingham?
A: The gritty visual poetry of Birmingham: the red brick, the old twisted metal, the graffiti and industrial facilities. I’ve always loved being downtown, even as a kid in the 60s.
Q: Favorite places to eat in town?
A: Before the pandemic, I’ve always loved Rojo. The breakfast at Trattoria Zaza is awesome. Bogue’s. Birmingham Breadworks. Oh, Gus’s Hot Dogs! It’s the last true old-school hot dog stand. There used to be 25-30 of them downtown when I was a kid.
Q: What are you most excited about for our city and community?
A: The growth of employment in our city center. The announcements of these young, vital companies relocating to Birmingham is really powerful. Everything can't be just bars and restaurants. I'm also excited about the growth and options of sports. What Birmingham Legion is doing is a big deal. I think it's our best chance to have a major-league sports franchise here. I think it would be great if the Legion could eventually become part of MLS (Major League Soccer).
Q: We have to finish with some industry-specific questions, you know. What do PR professionals do that annoys you?
A: When they send things to me that I have no reason to cover, like a car plant opening in Minnesota. People who don’t carefully target their submissions.
Q: What is your #1 piece of advice to someone in communications, maybe someone who’s just starting out?
A: I’ll direct it to aspiring journalists. I would tell young people this: writing is what draws people in. People who like to write—that’s important, and if you can’t write well, you’re in the wrong business. But once you get into these jobs, writing is a very small part of your time spent. There’s planning, photos, phone calls, emails, managing teams… The days you can put on headphones and write? You feel like that’s a day off! You have to learn to deal with the stress and anxiety and deadlines. That’s critical. Take care of your body. Take care of your soul.
Our PUBLISHED by PERITUS takeaway is this:
Starnes Media's Jesse Chambers is one of our favorite FOPs (Friends of Peritus). His quick wit, enchanting stories and genuine vibe make him a talented journalist and a great person to kick off our Meet the Media blog series!