Behind the Deadlines: Secrets from a TV Newsroom

The year: 1972. The location: Baltimore, Maryland. As a young woman, New York City native Ricki is the only producer at WJZ-TV who is not part of the old regime of white males. When she hears they’re finally adding a fourth producer to their ranks, she merely hopes for someone competent enough to carry some of the overwhelming workload.

But when young, African-American Paul walks into the station, work begins to take on a more personal dimension for Ricki.

Behind the Deadlines is both a historical and a romantic memoir following Ricki and Paul through the first two years of their personal and professional relationship in Baltimore. Written like a back-and-forth newscast, the book lets both characters share their side of the story—sometimes on the same wavelength, and sometimes not.

Offering a unique and creative look at the early 1970s, Behind the Deadlines addresses racism and sexism in the field of broadcast journalism, as well as social prejudice against interracial romance. But it’s also simply a personal story of two young people at the start of their careers whose friendship and romance will affect each of their futures.