Ten Tenets from MPR News, 2001

1) We believe standards matter. We don’t compete with tabloid television, shock-jock radio, or the kind of newspapers found at supermarket check-out stands. We believe public radio must adhere to the highest journalistic principles, ethics and standards for accuracy, balance and fairness. 2) We believe journalists should make decisions about important news coverage. We don’t make news decisions based on the use of focus groups, seeking to find out what kind of lifestyle news people may say they want.

The Roadshow discovers challenges of wild success

When Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow rolled into New York City last month, appraiser John Hays hit the jackpot a full day before the doors even opened. This time it wasn’t a rare 18th-century tea table from someone’s dusty attic, but a glowing profile in the New York Times. The headline got it right: “Appraiser Examines a Newfound Treasure: Fame.” Next morning, two members of the Roadshow’s roving tribe, Leigh and Leslie Keno, could be spotted on CBS Saturday Morning explaining to a national audience why a graceful little table with delicate wood inlay was a fake. The Keno twins also have gained their share of fame from the series, garnering everything from appearances on Oprah to a major book deal for Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture, which has raked up a resounding $100,000 in sales, five times the norm for a book on antiques.