Audio/Visual
These are the eyes and voices best connecting you to what and who makes the region go round.
By Vanessa LaFaso Stolarski
Chad Dukes (Photography by Jonathan Timmes)
Local Blogger
CHAD DUKES
www.TheFukerton.com
Log in to www.TheFukerton.com and at first glance it might be hard to tell what the blog, written by WJFK radio personality Chad Dukes of the “Big O and Duke Show,” is all about. Maybe the better questions is: What is it not about? For starters, it’s definitely not about the latest Paris Hilton gossip. “Lots of blogs are devoted to following around celebrities, and I don’t know a lot of guys that are into that,” says Dukes about his male-powered site. The Northern Virginia native says the blog, named after one of his many on-air aliases, gives him an opportunity to explore topics outside the ones he’s limited to on his daily radio show. As a result, he’s garnered an audience hungry for blog content that speaks to them. “Not a lot of blogs talk about fast food and new beers coming out.” And while Dukes is the most prolific writer on the blog, developing and writing most of the content on it, he gives a lot of credit to designer Curtis Bowman and developer Justin Merioff.
To whom or what in Northern Virginia would you give a failing grade?
“DC 101 because they play the same 10 songs every day. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge has been worked on for years, and it’s still bumper-to-bumper traffic. And 66 East can be blown up, if you ask me.”
Local Podcast
THE JUNKIES
WJFK
Many media professionals aim for syndication. But the Sports Junkies, morning radio personalities on WJFK, prefer to stick close to home. “When you’re in 30 different cities, you have a bunch of other people manipulating your show. We’ve all grown up here, so we’re happy to be doing what we’re doing just here in D.C.,” says the Junkies’ John Auville. In fact, for reaching a wide audience, the technology available today renders syndication moot. One online program, Auville says, maps locations from where a podcast is being downloaded. “We see spots in Africa, Australia, Europe. People all over the world are sampling our show. That’s kind of a cool thing to think that’s happening.”
Courtesy of Loudoun Times-Mirror
Local Newspaper
LOUDOUN TIMES-MIRROR, LEESEESBURG
Covering Loudoun-centric stories since the early 1700s, Loudoun Times Mirror anchors in the region a hearty ship of news and know-how. One of the many things that set the paper apart is its commitment to original writing, as it never seeks Associated Press copy to plug holes. Online, LTM gives its readers a voice, inviting backfence reporting and blogging, further emphasizing its dedication to locality. “It’s about putting a face on the news,” says Barbara Payne, managing editor.
Local Sports Reporter
LINDSAY CZARNIAK
NBC4
Her charm and camera-friendly posture are secondary to Lindsay Czarniak’s popularity. The James Madison University alum’s reporting talents received the attention of veteran head George Michael and was soon on her way to becoming one of the area’s most knowledgeable and respected sportscasters.
Radio Station
106.7 WJFK
The call letters of comfort, radio talk enthusiasts give “Washington’s talk superstation” a permanent home on their dials. Mike O’Meara, the Sports Junkies and Big O and Dukes have three of the most popular shows in the D.C.-Metro region, and the radio station only continues to provide programming that’s making waves.
