Looks like Snooki may have better writing chops than this year's Newbery and Caldecott winners—or at least someone at the Today Show believes so.
NBC's morning program ran an eight-minute segment with the Jersey Shore star Tuesday morning but opted not to air its traditional morning-after interview with the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, which on Monday went to Clare Vanderpool and Erin Stead, respectively.
"The American Library Association did reach out to the Today Show, and multiple conversations took place between show producers and Pro-Media Communications, ALA's media relations firm," says Mark Gould, director of ALA's Public Information Office in a statement. "Unfortunately we were turned down." The ALA Youth Media Awards have had a spot on the Today Show for more than a decade.
The Today Show says Snooki had been lined up in advance and that the program was booked solid this week.
"The Internet rumors insinuating that we 'bumped' the Newbery and Caldecott winners for a segment with Snooki, that we 'passed up' the winners for Snooki, or that there was a 'lack of interest' in the winners, are totally false," says Megan Kopf, publicist for the Today Show, in an email. "Snooki was booked on Today before the winners were even pitched to us."
Instead Vanderpool, author of this year's Newbery winner Moon over Manifest (Delacorte, 2010) flew to New York from Wichita, KS, solo to celebrate with Random House's children's book department and her editors and returned home Wednesday.
"I had a blast," says Vanderpool, who was prepared to pull her kids out of school and fly to the Big Apple together to celebrate her anticipated appearance on the Today Show.
Stead, this year's Caldecott winner for A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Roaring Brook, 2010) flew in to New York from Ann Arbor, MI, Monday night along with her husband, Philip, who wrote the book. The couple went out for a celebratory lunch and toasts at the Flatiron Building with their publisher, Macmillan, which admitted that the Today Show snub was a bit of a let down.
"Of course we were disappointed that the Today Show coverage didn't happen this year, as it has in years past, "says Elizabeth Kerins, publicist for Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, in an email. "[But] we're also happy to see the book and illustrator Erin Stead receiving other great coverage."
Stead says she was so overwhelmed by winning that she didn't notice any shift in plans.
"It was never on the itinerary I had for the trip, so I was not aware of anything," she says by email. "It was such a whirlwind, and since I was so gobsmacked I could barely remember my own name, I was just showing up where I was told to be."
Defending its decision to interview Snooki, rather than the winners of the top prizes in children's literature, Kopf says the Today Show "does more book segments in a given year than any other show on television, and we continue to support the publishing industry with initiatives like Al's Book Club for Kids and Read for the Record."
And although Vanderpool was understandably disappointed by not appearing on the show, she says she always looks forward to watching the interviews with the Newbery and Caldecott winners each year as a great tradition.
"You can always postpone it," she says of the television appearance. "I would still be happy to go and my kids would happy to go too."
This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.
I was clearly disappointed when Snooki was on instead of the Vanderpool and Stead. My children love watching their favorite authors and illustrators on TV.
This is a tradition that Today show chose to snub. Scheduling Snooki weeks in advance for today? Please, she's on the air all the time.
I think Vanderpool and Stead and their publishing houses classiness and graciousness, certainly handled this with dignity.
This speaks badly for Kopf and the Today show.
I call their sponsors or I'll call GMA to have them on their show.
Posted by Maryann Thompson on January 13, 2011 05:00:39PM
I feel that the Today show had set a precedent over the last 10 years that they needed to follow up on. This is a major event that should have been on their calendar; they should have been fitting Snooki in around the awards. This just smacks of marketing to me--Snooki gets a bigger draw, so who are they gonna air? I'm really disappointed in the Today Show.
Posted by Jane Rink on January 13, 2011 05:15:18PM
What's so important about Snooki that they had to air her. Doesn't she get enough media coverage in other media publications & television.
Despite that Newbery & Caldecott winners will always be around. Wheras, Snooki will fade over time. Super job Vanderpool & Stead!
Posted by Cecilia B on January 13, 2011 05:30:24PM
Perhaps ALA should take it's business elsewhere, say Good Morning, America or PBS. The Today Show's selection of Snooki over the Newbery and Caldecott winners is an unfortunate commentary on the state of education today and on what is important to mainstream media. Phooey.
Posted by Laura Wadley on January 13, 2011 03:34:39PM
This is one reason I no longer watch these shows...
Posted by Dee on January 13, 2011 05:53:35PM
Who is Snooki?
Posted by on January 13, 2011 06:08:29PM
Who is Snooki? Next for me, will be who is the Today Show. They have no idea what the viewers want to see.
Posted by Diane on January 13, 2011 06:09:41PM
It's a sickening reminder of who is running our news.
Posted by Natasha Wing on January 13, 2011 04:12:37PM
Time to check out Good Morning America and CBS Morning Show. Today has become too full of itself anyway - I don't watch it anymore.
Shame on the publishers for not arranging different interviews.
Posted by Marion Conway on January 13, 2011 04:15:27PM
Must say, I never heard of Snooki until one of my middle school students was nicknamed that by a classmate. The student took the nickname to be an insult. Years ago I attempted to watch the Today show, but it never held my interest beyond a few minutes.
Posted by Alice M on January 13, 2011 06:43:43PM
Why would the award have an exclusive with the Today show?
The Today show, like most morning programs, has to get
ratings. Sadly, Snooki pulls in ratings. While they Today show
used to be the number one watched morning program (and still
is within ABC, CBS, etc) the introduction of cable morning
programs has their viewership down. I say ditch the Today
show...there are many other programs that could do the
interview...do them all..that way you are sure to get a broader
audience. I live in a part of the country that there are many
people who only (sadly) watch Fox News. ALA might even try to
do Colbert or Jon Stewart - that would really reach a broader
audience.
Posted by Billie Esser on January 13, 2011 05:11:05PM
What the Today show did was contemptible. They knew when the Newbery
and Caldecott award winners would be announced, and chose to rub their
face in the dirt by instead bringing the airhead barfly Snooki on the show
to discuss her ghost-written book. Someone at the Today Show needs to
be fired for this.
Posted by David DeKok on January 13, 2011 05:36:31PM
Maybe they should have dropped the children's books in a big ball in NJ - then they might have gotten some coverage from the Today Show.....
Posted by Nina on January 13, 2011 06:38:47PM
Actually, I think that Snooki is a great advertisement for why we need libraries in the first place. Don't you think? ;)
Posted by Barb on January 13, 2011 07:21:53PM
Next time the Today Show does some big story about education and how important it is to our society, I will know how they really feel. They have now put their money where their mouth is. Of all the people in the world to have on the show instead of the Newbery and Caldecott...
Posted by Nancy Dickinson on January 13, 2011 09:35:31PM
It's not like the Today Show wouldn't have known months
in advance that the Newbery and Caldecott were announced
on Monday. Isn't it like four hours long now? Wouldn't
they have some time?
Posted by Susie Highley on January 13, 2011 09:51:02PM
The bottom line here is not how much coverage was given to two books, but how little support the Today Show gave to the American Library Association, its awards, and therefore, by proxy, its membership. At a time, when librarians are losing their jobs and libraries are being closed, this is a letdown to us all, not only the two author's that were snubbed. I am a librarian that would have given "airtime" to the Today Show in my school if the two authors had been featured. Bad decision, Today Show. I hope ALA will look to other news programs to feature their award winners in the future.
Posted by Vandy Tune on January 13, 2011 08:00:49PM
I have been a Today Show watcher off and on for years but have seen it regress into "Entertainment Today" mediocrity recently. This is the last straw for me. Perhaps, though, since NBC is touting Al's book club, he should arrange a special segment with Vanderpool and Stead! It's too bad that NBC doesn't really recognize the importance of literature (and literacy!) over a reality-show idiot like Snooki. Those of us on the frontlines of providing kids with good reading choices (and role models...) are appalled!
Posted by Betsy Dewey on January 13, 2011 08:06:47PM
"Snooki was booked on Today before the winners were even pitched to us." ??
ALA Midwinter has been scheduled for MONTHS. If the Today Show has been doing this for ten years you might expect the event would be on the programming schedule. Clearly the show has made a conscious decision to cease covering the awards.
Have the network's standards dropped? Do they no longer consider awards for kids' books relevant? It's a question.
Posted by Pink Me on January 13, 2011 11:32:50PM
It's a disappointment, but let's not make a bigger deal about it than it really is. Whether an appearance by either winner comes a day or two or three days after doesn't matter in the long run.
Posted by Phil S on January 14, 2011 08:23:59AM
Shame on the Today Show for only looking for popularity rather than quality in their programming. The show owes more to its' viewers than to replace a quality segment with the likes of Snooki. Did anyone even attempt to reschedule Snooki's segment? The viewing public has a right to expect more from the Today Show producers.
Posted by Ginny Konefal on January 14, 2011 06:59:17AM
I got home from work on Tuesday and realized that I hadn't DVR'd the Today Show. Uh-oh. Imagine my surprise. I first heard about the traditional broadcast several years ago from a professor in library school.
If you would like to express your disappointment to The Today Show, call the switchboard at 212-664-4444 and ask to be connected to the Today Show comment line.
Perhaps Lester Holt, the Today Show weekend anchor, who introduced Laura Bush at ALA (New Orleans, 2006) would be a good candidate for the interview if the weekday schedule is so booked.
Posted by Beth D-C on January 14, 2011 09:11:35AM
Who is Snooky?
Posted by Patricia Walker on January 14, 2011 11:44:44AM
Maybe the Today Show knew what they was doing....the Newbery & Caldecott Medal-winning books will last a lot longer than what took up the air time!
Posted by M. Salvadore on January 14, 2011 12:05:53PM
It's kind of hidden, but if you google "Today Show" and scroll down to the
near bottom right of the page, there is a "contact us" option. If you click
on the link and, again, scroll down near the bottom, there is a window for
typing comments. I don't know that it would have any impact, but it
would probably be good for them to get feedback indicating that people
are disappointed with this decision to forego broadcasting interviews with
the Caldecott and Newbery winners. The "we didn't know until it was too
late" excuse is ridiculous. These awards are given and broadcast every
year. It's not like it could really be a surprise to them.
Posted by Irene Fahrenwald on January 14, 2011 01:18:16PM
Who is Snooki, anyway?
Posted by Connie Younkin on January 14, 2011 01:36:58PM
Since the interview of the Newbery and Caldecott winners has been going on for 10 years, it seems Kopf should have had information regarding the announcement on her calendar or have been advised well in advance by ALA when the announcement was to be made so time would be available for an interview of the winners. Seems like a serious lack of communication.
Posted by Andrea Pedigo on January 14, 2011 02:47:31PM
It's sad when someone who is famous for being stupid gets more air time and endorsement money that an accomplished artist. Shame on anyone who lines her pockets.
Posted by val on January 14, 2011 06:02:51PM
Let's face it, the Today Show has been spiriling down these past years....They keep repeating the same stories over and over again...the show's content is joining the multitude of trash TV...No wonder Katie left....Maybe they should cut their big cast payroll down and hire real reporters with real news stories. Certainly there are different US/World happenings everyday!! Wouldn't it be nice to have a morning news show, that reports on NEW, news happening everyday from different parts of the country...not just NY and NJ...Maybe even interview authors from Kansas and Michigan!!
Posted by Pam on January 15, 2011 11:13:35AM
This is another unfortunate indication that we are in a descending society, emulating the lower rather than the higher....parents, which would you rather have as a role model for your children?
Posted by Linda F on January 15, 2011 12:38:07PM
Now I know why I listen to NPR in the morning instead of watching The Today Show. The Today Show seems to be reaching for the lowest common denominator.
Posted by MJ Vinella on January 15, 2011 01:37:06PM
Snooki over the Newbery & Caldecotts? Oh,please! And we wonder why society is going the way it is.... ALA, as a member, I say take your business elsewhere.
Posted by Pat Sharon on January 18, 2011 10:17:37AM
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