Exclusive Interview with Todd Starnes of Fox News

One of the things I want to do through my blog is introduce my readers to unique and interesting voices that are shaping culture. The individuals I interview may or may not reflect my personal opinions, but I believe they are making important contributions that deserve our attention.  As a result, I recently interviewed super-blogger and soon-to-be author Jonathan Acuff as well as popular author Margaret Feinberg. The content that these exclusive interviews generate can't be found anywhere else.

In the spirit of this endeavor, I sought out Todd Starnes of Fox News. Todd is an award-winning journalist, a network news reporter for Fox News Radio, and bestselling author. He was previously the Fox News embed on then-Senator Obama's campaign airplane. A devout Christian, Starnes also hosts the "Fox on Faith" podcast. Recently, I sat down with Todd to ask him about his previous book, his upcoming book, and which of his interviewees especially stick out in his mind.

JM: Todd, you are a journalist, and yet your book "They Popped My Hood and found Gravy on the Dipstick" is incredibly personal. Was it difficult for you to resist the "just the fact, ma'am" impulse and speak honestly about your life?

TS: I’m much more comfortable writing about other people. This was a tough project. I went through some very difficult issues within a short timespan – open heart surgery, the weight loss, losing my parents and the move to New York City. I knew I didn’t want to write a sob-story. The running joke was titling the book, “Spiritual Life Lessons Gleaned from Cardiovascular Surgery.” So I decided to tell the story using my voice – being brutally honest and using a healthy dose of humor. And let’s face it – I’m a southern writer – we know how to embellish! My favorite writer is Lewis Grizzard. Ironically, we both suffered from the same heart condition. I re-read some of his books and found great literary inspiration from the way he handled his illnesses. The end result, I believe, is not a book about heart surgery or weight loss. It’s a book about my life.

JM: You had open-heart surgery, lost more than 100 pounds, and ended up running the New York Marathon.  Most importantly, you learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way. What is one of the most significant lessons that you'd like to share with my readers?

TS: God’s grace is sufficient. It’s not necessarily a lesson I learned – I think it was just an affirmation of that biblical truth. I went through a very difficult patch and I distinctly remember moments when the Lord revealed himself to me – whether it was a kind word or a visit from a friend or on a more practical level – legal narcotics! My life verse is Hab 3:19. “The sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of the deer and enables me to go on to the high places.” There were plenty of times over the past few years that I could’ve gotten tripped up by circumstance, but God was faithful to carry me through – to make my feet like those of the deer.

JM: Of all the individuals you have interviewed over the years, who sticks out in your mind as 1) most intriguing, 2) most annoying, 3) most arrogant, 4) most famous, and 5) most surprisingly likable?

TS: Let me say this is an incredibly unfair question! Hah! On face value, the most interesting people I’ve interviewed are normal folks – the families trying to save their farm from foreclosure, the firefighters battling flames in the Sierra Nevada , The Coast Guard pulling people out of flood waters. Those are the kinds of stories I really enjoy covering.

1. Most Interesting: 50 Cent. I am probably the whitest person in New York City . One day I was assigned to interview the rap artist 50 Cent. I called him, “Mr. Cent.” He was promoting a new show where he would pimp out your ride. I told him I drove a Ford Taurus and asked what I could do to pimp my ride? He replied, “Yo, man. You drive a Taurus? You need to sell that car.”
2. Most Annoying: Most people would rather have a root canal than talk to a reporter. So I honestly can’t remember anyone who was truly annoying. I have deep and abiding respect for the people I interview. And I cut them some slack if they’re “annoying.”
3. Most arrogant: Once I wrote a column about people who hold up Bible verse signs at sporting events. I was poking fun at a sign I saw at a golf tournament – referencing some obscure Old Testament verse. A local minister actually came to the newsroom and read me the riot act. The first words out of his mouth: “I know you hate Jesus…” Whew.
4. President Obama and Paula Deen. I was our network’s embed reporter on the Obama campaign. Got to do a piece with him about baseball for the World Series. Paula Deen is the greatest chef in the South! She gave me a bear hug, called me “Sugar” and smelled just like a butter cookie. I love Paula Deen.
5. Bennie Hinn. I asked the faith healer whether he had health insurance. (He does). As a reporter you have to set aside your own beliefs and cover the story from a fair and balanced point of view. He was a good sport.

JM: Being a Christian and being a reporter who works in the political and entertainment worlds can't be easy. How do you square your religious beliefs with reporting?

TS: President Obama is my commander in chief. As a Christian, I believe we are obligated to pray for our leaders, Democrat, Republican and Independent. I’m frequently asked – “How can you be a Christian and be a journalist?” My answer is, “The same way a Christian can be a school teacher or an electrician.” My job is to be the very best journalist I can possibly be. That means spelling names correctly, getting the facts right, telling a good story. My faith in Jesus influences the kind of journalist I am – I treat people with kindness and compassion; I pray that the Lord is glorified by my witness in the newsroom and out in the field. And on a very practical matter – reporting is all about getting to the truth of the matter. As a believer, my standard of truth is Jesus.

I love working at FOX. My colleagues are passionate about doing good journalism and there’s a deep and abiding respect for people of all faiths.

A few months ago I interviewed Ryan Hall, a follower of Jesus and an Olympic runner. He said God created him to run. And when he runs, Ryan said he hopes people will catch of glimpse of what heaven will be like. God created me to be a journalist and this is my mission field.

JM: Your next book is titled, "Dispatches from Bitter America." It is being billed as a humorous look inside America's culture war. Can you tell us what the gist of the book is and why people are going to want to read it?

TS: Dispatches From Bitter America is going to be a fun book. The humor is in the absurdity. It’s a collection of essays about culture war stories – from the school that banned cupcakes but gave the kids condoms to a New Yorkers who think fried chicken is racist. There are also some poignant stories about Americans who are making a difference – bucking the trends and giving back to their communities, sacrificing their careers to strengthen their families. I’m also going to examine the impact the culture has had on the church. One of my favorite chapters is titled, “Gird your loins, choir. The preacher’s talking about sex.” Ultimately, I explore where we are going as a nation and where Christians are going. I suspect that we have a lot more in common that you might think.

Check out Todd's bestselling book.