Apples & Oranges

I just finished watching the Chapman family on Larry King Live. Only yesterday, they appeared in a pre-recorded segment on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts. Having never watched either interviewer before, I was surprised by the contrast in their approaches. Roberts was clearly moved by the Chapmans faith and suffering; her questions were phrased sensitively and served the Chapman family's desire to glorify God. Contrastingly, King was ambivalent; his questions were blunt and he seemed to be seeking the "sensational" story. His attitude suggested that he was barely even interested in the interview, let alone the Chapman family. For that reason, the latter was difficult for me to watch. It has occurred to me, however, that the Chapmans made a wise choice in which programs to grant interviews to (and these were the only two television interviews - there will be an article in People magazine later this month): Because of the contrasting nature of the two interviewers, the two programs attract different demographics - they were able to reach many people who would not otherwise encounter their faith in such an exposed setting. I also think that it's a good thing the Larry King segment was live -- it gave the Chapmans much more control over their message by not allowing the station to cut, paste, twist or distort their responses. GMA did a beautiful job editing their segment on the Chapmans, but I would not trust LKL to do the same.

Steven Curtis Chapman is appearing at Coors Field on Sunday to sing a concert following the Rockies game. Eric and I have tickets and are looking forward to the concert.