To borrow an old saying, the media is the nation.Today's cultural impact of media, including movies, TV shows and YouTube videos, is more significant than ever before. ColdWater Media was founded by James Fitzgerald to promote the values that so many Americans cherish.Fitzgerald claims that the political left has done an excellent job building business models around indoctrinating children.Fitzgerald uses film to examine the most pressing issues facing our culture, covering everything from philosophy and history to education and economics. The Daily Signal Podcast features Fitzgerald discussing ColdWater Media's mission and the latest projects of the company, including a series that traces the history of all American holidays.Today's show features a conversation with John Papola (CEO, creative director and co-founder) of media company Emergent Or. Papola shares how he uses humor, rap and storytelling to convey American values through film.These stories are also covered by us:Rob Bonta, the California Attorney General, has announced that the state will not fund travel to Arkansas and West Virginia. He claims these states have taken adverse actions against the LGBT community.Los Angeles County requires that all people wear masks indoors as well as in public areas due to the spread of the coronavirus delta variant.Gwen Berry, a U.S. Olympic track and cross athlete, was criticized by lawmakers for not pointing her head at the American flag while singing the national anthem at U.S. Olympic track & field trials.Listen to the podcast or read the slightly edited transcript.Virginia Allen: Jim Fitzgerald, founder and president of ColdWater Media, is joining me. Jim, thank you so much for coming.Jim Fitzgerald: You bet.Allen: Tell us about ColdWater Media, and what you do.Fitzgerald: ColdWater Media was founded in 2000 by my son, who came home from Bible school and complained that it was boring.After I sold my company, I was searching for something new. A few documentaries were made by me and a friend I had funded. He owned a small production company. I was able to learn a lot about the production business.That was combined with the fact that my son had commented on it and that my wife had read Chuck Colson's How Now Shall We Live?, which opened my eyes to the idea of a Christian worldview. The combination of these two events inspired me to create great media and start a media company. At the time, I didn't see a lot of great conservative and Christian media.Allen: ColdWater Media, where did the name originate?Fitzgerald: It's a mixture of many things. My wife, I believe, was receiving a catalog from Coldwater Creek that day. It was a clothing store.Allen: Yes.Fitzgerald: I was thinking, "Oh, that's an interesting combination of words." Then, the idea of throwing coldwater on an old idea appealed to me. The Bible verse also talks about giving a cup full of cold water, and that you will not lose your salvation.It didn't sound Christian-y, but it sounded good so we went ahead and did it. We've received many compliments ever since. It seems that it is a great name.Allen: It's a great name. It has a refreshing sound.Fitzgerald: Yes.Allen: ColdWater is a fact.Fitzgerald: Yes, it's already in everyone's brain, right?Allen: It's exactly. It's my favorite. It is my favorite thing.Fitzgerald: Yes.Allen: Your son was in many ways the inspiration for the creation of the company. You all produce media that is often aimed at a Christian audience. You all know American values are important in your films. Talk about the different types of projects you have all done and what types of projects you aspire to do.Fitzgerald: The first project we did was on the subject of evolution and Darwin in schools. We did this in close collaboration with the Discovery Institute of Seattle.One young teacher was being persecuted for challenging some of the orthodoxy. They didn't cancel the term back then in late 90s or early 2000. But that was what they did to him for daring and even asking questions about the truth of the things he was being taught.Many of the things he was supposed teach were abandoned by Darwinists, even those who are the most passionate. They decided that these were fake pictures, so why did he expect to teach this? This is just one example.We started the Drive Thru History series shortly after. For the Fourth of July, we will be doing our 100th special.Drive Thru History offers a chance to reinsert both the Christian and conservative stories back into history, and have some fun doing it. It should appeal to children and be enjoyable for parents and kids.Allen: Yes.Fitzgerald: So, we've covered many subjects using that. Because we knew that ancient history was a subject that every child should study, we started with it. Then we moved on to American history, then the Holy Land and New Testament. We were now doing American holidays, and telling the stories behind each holiday.Allen: It's my favorite.Fitzgerald: It's been incredible. We thought it would be nice to take that on. But then we realized that every holiday story, starting with Martin Luther King (which was the first we did) and ending with the Fourth of July, is being attacked by the left.It has become a civics lesson by telling about important holidays and dates for remembrance. We did Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and 9/11. We also did Valentines Day, and we told the story. All of these events have become highly politicized, so it was an interesting exercise.Allen: What is the length of these short films? Allen: Is it a 20-minute film that explains things or an hour and a quarter? How does this format work?Fitzgerald: The majority of Drive Thru History shows last 26 minutes.Allen: It's OK.Fitzgerald: I believe the holiday specials were 50 to 55 minutes.Allen: That's fantastic.Fitzgerald: They are being broadcast on Trinity Broadcast Network. Since 2003, they have been our partner. They are amazing.We also made all these into a curriculum when we discovered that many homeschoolers were using them. They kept asking us why we didn't have one.Allen: You are now.Fitzgerald: We created curriculum and a streaming service that would allow you to access it.Allen: This is fantastic. Allen: That's great. What role does the media really play in shaping society's future?Fitzgerald: I used to do that, but since the invention of the smartphone, every once in awhile I checked in to see how many people were using the devices. Before I came here, I did it again and found that they no longer put hours into it. They say, "OK, 95% of American teens have a smartphone" and then they stop putting hours into it.Allen: Wow.Fitzgerald: It's not all the time.Allen: It's non-stop.Fitzgerald: Is there any question about whether conservatives should participate in the attempt to connect through this device?Allen: Yes. This is so crucial. We must all be aware of our choices and what we can eat if we are going to make it to the top. What can we expect if there is nothing out there that is displaying those positive values? This is so crucial.Fitzgerald: Yes. We weren't in the game. The other messages will either be in support or neutral of what we believe.Allen: Yes, that's right. Some conservatives may be hesitant about entering the media space, as it is perceived to be left-leaning.Fitzgerald: Right.Allen: Were your beliefs conservative when you decided that this was something you really wanted to pursue? How did you think about how to put your values into the space?Fitzgerald: I've always been conservative. I have never had a moment that made me leave the reservation. I don't know how it happened but my parents were great. It has always shocked me how little interest conservatives show in this.While I appreciate the value of books and classical education, I also believe in them. However, I also believe we all use these devices and are all connected and consuming large amounts of media.We have missed so many important points in, and I won't use the term evolution, in terms of the advancement in technology or the changing media landscape. ColdWater Media was founded before I was involved in cable TV. Conservatives have missed the boat quite a bit. They could have been an incredible presence with very little money.The other thing that drives me insane is the fact the left has built a lot of business models around indoctrinating our children.Allen: Hmm.Fitzgerald: They control the schools and the media. We pay for both of those. So I believe that it was crucial for us from the beginning to develop business models to be self-sustaining, and not relying on charity efforts.Allen: Yes. Allen: Yes.Fitzgerald: You should try many things because it is not likely that you will know what your path will be. There will be many twists and turns. It's something you will love, so you should do it every day, regardless of whether you get paid.I was able to share that passion with my children. I also mentioned that I have two sons who own a media company. They were just friends, creating short films and photography sessions together. They figured out later how to monetize it.However, I believe that the biggest indicator of passion is whether you are consumed by it.Allen: Yes.Fitzgerald: It's not easy to say "Oh, go here" and get a job doing that, as it is still being created in this conservative media environment.Allen: What skills should people be learning? Allen: Is there a greater demand for people behind the camera, directing, or all three?Fitzgerald: It seems like a lot of people have been trying to be all things to all people. It was the same when we started. In the movie industry, everyone has a specific task and does large-scale projects. It is important that everyone knows what they are doing and can do it well and quickly. However, in my world, almost everybody does the same thing.Allen: Yes.Fitzgerald: Dave Stotts was a first-generation cameraman and editor. He was then so funny that I said, "You need to be in front the camera."Allen: Wow.Fitzgerald: He's managed to have a great life, shooting in the field, traveling and all that stuff, while still being able to be at home to edit.Allen: Yes.Fitzgerald: He long ago got over his weirdness about editing.Allen: Yes, that's right. We just need to get over it.Fitzgerald: Yes, exactly.Allen: How can we help our listeners discover all the amazing products you make, all the series?Fitzgerald: You can find coldwatermedia.com or drivethruhistory.com at FitzgeraldAllen: It's OK.Fitzgerald: These are the places you should go.Allen: It's very, very easy.Fitzgerald: Yes.Allen: That's great. Jim, we are so grateful for your time. It was a great pleasure to have you as a guest and we appreciate all of your efforts.Fitzgerald: Virginia, thank you.Allen: It is so crucial.Fitzgerald: Thank you for having me.Do you have a comment about this article? Send us an email at [email protected] with your comments. We may publish them in our We Hear You section. Include the URL of the article or the headline, along with your name and the town/state.
