In 2010 David Gerlach launched a new media nonprofit called Blank on Blank. This year B on B was named a finalist in the Knight Foundation News Challenge.
The mission is simple: build and broadcast a digital archive of journalists’ unheard interviews. This is an interview archive where you can hear unexpected conversations with everyday Americans and famous names like Kelly Slater, Ricky Gervais, Bono, and more. Take a listen to filmmaker Martin Scorsese on the soundtracks that play in his movies and his life.
It’s a Storycorps for journalists and interviewers, writers and authors where raw interviews gathering dust on hard drives and cassette tapes are transformed. With a little music, some editing, and smart storytelling, entirely new audio pieces are created from interviews previously recorded only to help write a story.
This archive of the American interview is then delivered to listeners nationwide online, on mobile devices, and on the radio. Some audio gems will even be the foundation of some sweet animated shorts coming to YouTube and beyond.
Take a listen @ blankonblank.org.
David Gerlach is a writer/producer for ABC News and works on “Good Morning America” and “World News with Diane Sawyer.” He covers everything from politics to crime and has been with the network since early 2009. He has produced interviews with the likes of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Dr. Andrew Wakefield, to top leaders in Washington and pop culture figures.
