God & I: Joe Birch

My guardians were Francis and Joseph Birch, and we grew up in Teaneck Township, near Englewood, New Jersey. When the George Washington Bridge crosses the Hudson River from New York, it ends in Fort Lee. And my maternal great-grandfather was the second mayor of Fort Lee.

I have two older brothers and two older sisters, and we were blessed with great caregivers who adored each other. Growing up surrounded by loving caregivers definitely has a huge impact on children.

Every Sunday, we walked to Mass. The founder knelt at our bedside and taught us the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary. He was a great guide in our spiritual growth.

You've been recognized with an Emmy Award, inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame, and into the Silver Circle of the State Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. What do you think makes a good reporter?

The Watergate scandal had a pretty strong impact on me. The Washington Post had a pair of reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who played a key role in breaking the story that ultimately led to President Nixon's resignation.

At the time of the brawl, I was young and thought of correspondents as a force for good. Now I know that most people don't think of correspondents that way, but those two correspondents managed to bring a ton of information to the surface. After this episode, I decided that I wanted to be a correspondent too.

In my opinion, great reporters are made for that, they have a desire for truth and a desire for division. As a correspondent, you can only see small, but we probably do everything to make it known. We invite people to share information together, but this is a kind of indulgence that seeks comfort in doing something with people. For example, when I was young and ambitious, I wanted to pick an episode of corruption that supposedly took place in Memphis. As a result, I went to meet the head of the organization that oversees Bill Street, a famous blues house in Memphis. I went to visit the person every day. He didn't want to share with me the information he had as an auditor because I was too fresh and "inexperienced". After that, after months and months of knocking on doors, he finally surrendered and shared the information, and we were able to talk the situation through.

What kind of audience does a good communicator have when trying to communicate his ideas effectively?

When you're reading an announcement, you basically give up on talking to one person because you're watching TV. Apart from that, we talk to people through our hearts. As a result, I just look for situations that have an impact on the heart, that are sincere, that are human, that are important to people.

Currently, one of the situations I am working on involves a veteran soldier who, in his grief, fell victim to drug addiction. Now, he intends to do it to share his life story and help others from addiction. For this reason, it can be an unfortunate area. Such situations have an impact on people as a result of him feeling attracted and making people want to experience something.

You still have a multitude of awards for your own charity and public initiatives. What motivates you to work for others?

All of this is the work of the Lord and I am just a tool in His hands. I am a novice lazy person. Truly, I am a lazy person who tries to get rid of the TV remote control! I grew up in a privileged environment in a home that values ​​service to the community.

Let's talk about episodes that you have never talked to. When I was about seven years old, my paternal grandfather James Paul Birch began to get sick. Therefore, we always went to see a nursing home with a bedridden grandfather after the mass on Sunday. I ran up the stairs earlier than anyone and heard the conversation between my grandfather James and my beloved wife, Mary. I was deeply impressed by what I actually heard. My grandfather was about 70 years old and died just a few years later. He told his grandmother, "I can make more arrangements!" But I knew that my grandfather had already arranged a lot of important things for society. I think this idea was actually saved. This was the species planted in me. Then, when I finally got out of the selfish and misplaced youth, I was willing to devote myself to almost all social and charitable attempts.

In 1992, you visited Italy to prepare a documentary at the Vatican Museum. At this time, you met John Paul II, recorded the conversation and broadcasted on the action news channel 5. What memories do you have about Polish Pope?

I was at the top of my trip to Italy. It was my first trip to Italy. At the invitation of the Vatican Museum of Art, he was in the audience hall of Paul VII to prepare for a documentary film in Memphis, a part of the Vatican Museum of Art, which will be held in Memphis. For example, I like Italian cuisine, but in fact, I gained 15 kg in only 7 days in Rome!

When the time came for the Pope's audience, I prepared a number of presentations in my stationery, twisted like wedding presentations. Among them were T-shirts from the American program The Today Show, coffee mugs, and small finch bags. These were gifts of gratitude to those who had taken care of us in Italy, including the woman who heads the Vatican's public relations department for American correspondents. She looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, I'm not a good person. ... I was ecstatic that he knew that Memphis is in Tennessee.

You've interviewed many famous people in your life, including holiday, sports, politics, and religion. Who was the person who moved you the most?

You've interviewed many famous people in your life. The founder of Gregory Boyle, whom I met in Memphis last year, really touched my heart. Gregory's founder was a Jesuit priest who founded the company's corporate industry in Los Angeles. He founded the company in a desperate attempt to help the Latino gang members in his parish. This small business grew and was reborn as many times as many thousands of people, as they had a great chance of receiving God's blessing when they unite and work together to build God's kingdom. And it was over. Boyle also succeeded in getting secondary education institutions ready to accept young men and women who were in gangs and had problems behind them. They weren't absolute academic stars, but they were around them. Greg founded these companies with great perseverance and enthusiasm. O. Greg wrote a book called "Heart Tattoos" that had a big impact on me. This May, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor our nation can bestow, by President Joseph Biden in a snowy white house.

Would you interview a popular angry person if this probability was introduced?

If I had this chance, I would absolutely do it. May the words of my lips, my mind, my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my strength and my Redeemer! But during interviews, I would never consciously and intentionally promote evil. I try to expose evil, independent of who is in front of me. As a correspondent, I want to be a bearer of truth.

What is your God type?

I spend time with the Lord every morning and evening, and when necessary, with the direction of the day. My personal day begins with prayer, and my God type is like God's love. Jesus offered himself as a good-natured pastor. When our God was embodied, the angels above the cradle sang with pomp to the shepherds, who were the lowest people in society.

Pope Francis likes to talk about our temples being field hospitals, and he likes to let the shepherds have the fragrance of his sheep.

Jesus says in John 10:10: "I have come that they (my sheep) may have life, and have it to the full." I call Jesus my Savior and Lord. I believe this with all my heart and soul.

Is it easy to talk to others about your faith?

I never go on TV to evangelize or preach, but those who have known me through my 46 years of work understand what my heart is like.

That is why it is not easy to talk about religion in normal conversation. For example, in my editorial department, religion is rarely discussed among us correspondents, but it often influences us in reporting.

Did Immaculate Anthony play a special role in your life?

My confirmation is Anthony, so I'm blessed. My paternal grandmother, Mary McAfrei Birch, was born on December 8, 1893 on a holiday of the innocence. She had three children. The first child (daughter) was born in 1920, when she was 27. It was called Maria because it appeared in March, a public holiday for concept. Five years later, another sacred daughter, Catholine, appeared. During this time, his grandmother began praying his son to Joseph of Moruhara, Mihara sin Francisco, and Anthony. And on December 10, 1929, my founder appeared and was named Anthony in the Jinshin ceremony. I rather longed for my founder, so I wanted to be like him, so I chose the name Anthony at the time of my trust.

When you lose something, I always come up with an unspeakable Anthony to support. Just two months ago, I bought a delicious cake at a restaurant near the workplace and carefully put it in the car so that it would not fall down during driving. At the same time, I put my house key on the roof of the car and returned to my house about 3 km away. Of course, even if I got off the car, I had to walk to the TV station. While praying, "St. Anthony, please help find the key!" And I found it with Dokan! At the entrance where you can drive from the parking lot!

Joe Birch was born in Eglewood, New Jersey in 1955 and grew up in a church school only for boys in Paramas, New Jersey. In 1978, he enrolled in Christian Brothers Institute in Memphis, Tennessee and learned English.

The day after graduation, Joe began working on WMC-TV (channel 5), a major television station in Memphis, Tennessee. Joe, who started from a reporter, has climbed to the leading role of the evening news broadcast, and has now become a celebrity who has no idea in the Memphis district.

Joe returned to his alma mater in May 2022, gave a speech at the graduation ceremony, and awarded a famous doctoral person, a veteran journalist and social function. Joe has won numerous awards for his philanthropy and public initiatives.

Robin Davis Birch was born between Joe and Memphis and married in June 1983. There were two descendants, Joseph III and Matthew, between the two, and gave three beloved grandchildren to their guardians.