Q&A with the old man...

Part 1-Q&A

Name of Interviewee: Gebrehiwet Yohannes
Age: 63
Birthplace: Asmara, Eritrea
Relation: Father
Date Interviewed: Sunday 1/29/2012
Place interviewed: Phone call

Can you tell me how popular the media was in your childhood at your time?

-Well, growing up in a different country not in America, we never really cared too much about that stuff. We always found other things to do instead of using media but usually we would do things outside with friends and things around the village all day instead.

What is your earliest memory of television?

-The earliest memory I have of television is a blur to me but I know for sure it was when we first moved to America. The only thing I can remember is the basic old antenna and turn dial televisions. I use to listen to the radio a lot more at first before television became more popular like today.

How did you know who to vote for in elections?

-I didn't start voting in elections until television started to grow more, plus around that time I was still learning English and didn't care for the elections here as much as I do now.

How were ads when you started to get use to everything here in America?

-They are just like they are now, annoying. People would always walk to you on the streets promoting things. I never gave attention to them and still don't give any now.

What products did people try to sell to you?

-Mostly things I didn’t care for, newspapers, candy, and other silly things.

Since those days, what media have you adopted too now?

-I watch the news every single day whenever I can, I have a cell phone but it's nothing fancy, just a basic flip phone is all I need. I don't use the internet either, if I need something done online
I have you or your brother do it for me.

Has media changed your life?
-A little, it ruins a lot of things in our world I think. It makes a lot of fake people in the world and that's not what God wants. I like the fact that I can watch the news and get all the information I need more than a newspaper but the internet is so bad for the younger generation.

Has there been anything beneficial in the media for you?
-Yes, if there wasn't for such a big growth in music software, a lot of my music I like wouldn't have been made. Even the music I have from Eritrea.

How had media affected your view on politics?
-It has made me ignore the stupid commercials even more and just focus on the candidates instead. The media can tell you many lies, but if I have any questions, I want to hear it from the people instead of a television.

Is there anything else that has changed while you've been here?
-The radio, I know you work at the radio station at your school but the radio has gone down a lot since I have been here. People use to love the radio and listen to it all day but nobody does it anymore. Other than that, I'd have to say television as well because years ago I wouldn't think a little box would grow into what it is now.


Part 2 – Reflection

To conduct my interview I decided to use the oldest person that I currently know in my family, which happens to be my father. Born and raised in the country of Asmara, Eritrea, my father has witnessed so many transitions in our world since coming to the country in the late 1980’s. Since I could not make my way home, I decided to conduct this interview through the phone on Sunday evening. My father is at the age of sixty-three and embraced to me how much he has learned over time here in America about our society. With that being said, here is a more in depth look into my interview that I had with my father about the media and society he went through growing up.

Starting off with my interview, my dad vastly explained to me how while he was growing up how much he did not have much of entertainment growing up in his village. Just that simple fact alone already points out the difference me and my father have in our childhoods. Being raised into a household with a television along with video games definitely factors into our different perspectives. My dad also mentioned to me and explained how he along with the people in his village would find things to do. He really talked about how they would play outside for hours doing odd games once they were done with their chores. Growing up in the villages on the outside of the country, my father didn’t grow up going to a school system like I did. Looking at how my father looks at the world after growing up in a different environment to myself is very interesting. He grew up in a world without media whatsoever, as myself has grown into the vast and ridiculous world of media. My dad’s thinking on the world is to go out and earn things that you want in the world, just as he did. Without a school system, my father still managed to come to America and find himself a job for over fifteen years and help support our family.


As I looked into how my father views his politics, he finds them very interesting compared to other people I know. My father doesn’t look into media commercials for information on candidates and bases his vote on the candidate’s voice and what they say and not the media. One of the biggest points my father brought up to me is that he didn’t let the media and society change the man he is. He explained to me how he did indeed have to adjust to this like getting a cell phone, but he didn’t let it control his life he said. At the same time, he explained to me how grateful I am for having the media grow with the education that I have compared to his. My father work hard over the last few years to work as a welder without a high school diploma. The strides he made with his ambition compelled him to at least end up to where he is now. Until that point in the interview, my thoughtfulness for what I have today came to a huge realization for myself as well as others I surround myself with.


Looking back on how I conducted my interview with my dad, I think I did a pretty good job with understanding the concepts he wanted me to know. As the interview took place, my dad really explained to me he didn’t use media when he was younger to influence decisions that he has made. He didn’t let the media influence his economic, political, or personal decisions. He instead, stuck to his own instinct. I looked at how my dad ignored the wonders of media and compared it to how I use it today. I find some things very similar and we both take strong outlooks on not letting social media take control of our worlds. At the same time, I keep up to date with the newest things in the world of technology while my father chooses not to.

So, to some extent, my dad and I have the same ideas. It took me a great deal of time to look back and reflect on some of the lessons my dad has showed me through this interview, which I am grateful for. Overall, I felt my father gave me in depth answers that I could really analyze and write this report on. As I ended my interview, my dad reached out to myself and explain how there has been such a huge change in the radio industry since he first came to America. My father knows I am a huge radio person so he thought it would be interesting to notify me of that. It felt good to know that my dad wanted to reach out to me and give myself a little insight on my career path’s history.