My 15 Seconds of Fame: WCBS-TV news on Swine Flu

I was the man on the street. The only one, actually, about 3:30 today at the corner of Columbus and 62d as I approached Fordham. The man with the microphone was Pablo Guzman, the veteran CBS-TV local news reporter (and once Minister of Information of the Young Lords Organization which also produced newsman Geraldo Rivera).

Did I have a minute to answer a question: will there be a backlash against Mexicans due to the swine flu outbreak there? I was glad that when my Warhol moment came I was wearing my Fordham cap and standing in front of the Law School (on my way to pick up my ungraded exams).

I promptly issued glorious remarks demonstrating my mastery of the subject, reaching all the way back to the New York Health Department's 1947 vaccination of 7 million in 7 days when smallpox broke out in Brooklyn; reassuring words about the comprehensive plans of world public health authorites for just this kind of emergency; the importance of following the advice of the public health authorities; that all will be well.

All on the cutting room floor. It was the man in the street stuff that got on air. Here it is

And here's the video

Apr 29, 2009 7:53 pm US/Eastern

Is Swine Flu A Stigma On Mexicans In New York?

Reporting
Pablo Guzman

NEW YORK (CBS) ― With the swine flu outbreak having started in Mexico, are New Yorkers stigmatizing Mexicans?

"I'd like to say we're beyond that, but people are afraid and we know less about how Mexico is governed and how effective the public health authorities are there," said Fordham law professor George Conk.

Click to enlarge

U.S. travelers who were on a flight from Mexico wear face masks to protect themselves against the risk of contracting swine flu as they arrive at Los Angeles International Airport on April 28, 2009.

Mark Ralston/Getty Images

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