Friday, October 30, 2009
People, Documents, Places
WashingtonPost's Channel: Bob Woodward explains the three ways journalists get their information and comments on the future of in-depth journalism in the digital age.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
A Golden Age?
"Has our approach destroyed the relationship of trust that our clients and readers have with us? The question supposes there was once a golden age of authoritative journalism where sourcing was always rigorous and the pursuit of truth always relentless. History suggests otherwise."
(Sean Maguire, Reuters' Editor of Political and General News)
[Reuters Editors]
(Sean Maguire, Reuters' Editor of Political and General News)
[Reuters Editors]
Monday, October 26, 2009
'They Talk, You Write, We Print'
"You wanna cover Brooklyn, then cover Brooklyn! But let me tell you something, it's a little tough to do from a bar stool in Manhattan."
"You got a cop quote?"
"A what?"
"Quote. You know, they talk, you write, we print?"
"You're not a columnist. You're a reporter who writes long."
"I hate columnists! Why do I have all these columnists? I got political columnists, guest columnists... celebrity columnists - The only thing I don't have is a dead columnist. That's the kind I could really use."
"Right. Listen..."
"We reek of opinions. What every columnist at this paper needs to do is to shut the fuck up."
The Paper (1994)
"You got a cop quote?"
"A what?"
"Quote. You know, they talk, you write, we print?"
"You're not a columnist. You're a reporter who writes long."
"I hate columnists! Why do I have all these columnists? I got political columnists, guest columnists... celebrity columnists - The only thing I don't have is a dead columnist. That's the kind I could really use."
"Right. Listen..."
"We reek of opinions. What every columnist at this paper needs to do is to shut the fuck up."
The Paper (1994)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Cyber Sandboxes
As a journalist, is it okay to describe your politics as "kind of a Commie" on Facebook?
Do you stop friends from posting pictures of you on their MySpace pages?
How about that video of you at the tailgate party going up on YouTube?
For journalists today, social networking sites are increasingly blurring the line between the personal and professional, creating a host of ethics and etiquette questions for news outlets.
[Pamela J. Podger - AJR]
Do you stop friends from posting pictures of you on their MySpace pages?
How about that video of you at the tailgate party going up on YouTube?
For journalists today, social networking sites are increasingly blurring the line between the personal and professional, creating a host of ethics and etiquette questions for news outlets.
[Pamela J. Podger - AJR]
Friday, October 23, 2009
Artificial Categories
'So I called Sports Illustrated — from the patio of the Polo Lounge — and said I was ready to do the "Vegas thing." They agreed. . . and from here on in there is no point in running down details, because they're all in the book.
More or less. . . and this qualifier is the essence of what, for no particular reason, I've decided to call Gonzo Journalism. It is a style of "reporting" based on William Faulkner's idea that the best fiction is far more true than any kind of journalism — and the best journalists have always known this.
Which is not to say that Fiction is necessarily "more true" than Journalism — or vice versa — but that both "fiction" and "journalism" are artificial categories; and that both forms, at their best, are only two different means to the same end. This is getting pretty heavy. . . so I should cut back and explain, at this point, that Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas is a failed experiment in Gonzo Journalism. My idea was to buy a fat notebook and record the whole thing, as it happened, then send in the notebook for publication — without editing. That way, I felt, the eye & mind of the journalist would be functioning as a camera. The writing would be selective & necessarily interpretive — but once the image was written, the words would be final; in the same way that a Cartier-Bresson photograph is always (he says) the full-frame negative. No alterations in the darkroom, no cutting or cropping, no spotting. . . no editing.
But this is a hard thing to do, and in the end I found myself imposing an essentially fictional framework on what began as a piece of straight/crazy journalism. True Gonzo reporting needs the talents of a master journalist, the eye of an artist/photographer and the heavy balls of an actor. Because the writer must be a participant in the scene, while he's writing it — or at least taping it, or even sketching it. Or all three. Probably the closest analogy to the ideal would be a film director/producer who writes his own scripts, does his own camera work and somehow manages to film himself in action, as the protagonist or at least a main character.
The American print media are not ready for this kind of thing, yet. Rolling Stone was probably the only magazine in America where I could get the Vegas book published. I sent Sports Illustrated 2500 words — instead of the 250 they asked for — and my manuscript was aggressively rejected. They refused to even pay my minimum expenses. . .
But to hell with all that.'
Hunter S. Thompson, The Great Shark Hunt, "Jacket Copy for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1979)
More or less. . . and this qualifier is the essence of what, for no particular reason, I've decided to call Gonzo Journalism. It is a style of "reporting" based on William Faulkner's idea that the best fiction is far more true than any kind of journalism — and the best journalists have always known this.
Which is not to say that Fiction is necessarily "more true" than Journalism — or vice versa — but that both "fiction" and "journalism" are artificial categories; and that both forms, at their best, are only two different means to the same end. This is getting pretty heavy. . . so I should cut back and explain, at this point, that Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas is a failed experiment in Gonzo Journalism. My idea was to buy a fat notebook and record the whole thing, as it happened, then send in the notebook for publication — without editing. That way, I felt, the eye & mind of the journalist would be functioning as a camera. The writing would be selective & necessarily interpretive — but once the image was written, the words would be final; in the same way that a Cartier-Bresson photograph is always (he says) the full-frame negative. No alterations in the darkroom, no cutting or cropping, no spotting. . . no editing.
But this is a hard thing to do, and in the end I found myself imposing an essentially fictional framework on what began as a piece of straight/crazy journalism. True Gonzo reporting needs the talents of a master journalist, the eye of an artist/photographer and the heavy balls of an actor. Because the writer must be a participant in the scene, while he's writing it — or at least taping it, or even sketching it. Or all three. Probably the closest analogy to the ideal would be a film director/producer who writes his own scripts, does his own camera work and somehow manages to film himself in action, as the protagonist or at least a main character.
The American print media are not ready for this kind of thing, yet. Rolling Stone was probably the only magazine in America where I could get the Vegas book published. I sent Sports Illustrated 2500 words — instead of the 250 they asked for — and my manuscript was aggressively rejected. They refused to even pay my minimum expenses. . .
But to hell with all that.'
Hunter S. Thompson, The Great Shark Hunt, "Jacket Copy for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1979)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Editors and Other Animals
Gerry (Gerald Durrell) offered me a good working title for a book about real-life in newsrooms.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Speed vs Accuracy
Journalistic lessons from the "balloon boy" hoax are likely to go unheeded by media outlets desperate to meet the voracious demands of the 24-hour news cycle, analysts say. [AFP via Google News]
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday Morning Problem
"This morning I set myself a problem. Given that faith and love are one and the same thing, and that the one leads to the other, which of these two words has for me the greater power and the least illusion?"
(Jean Guitton, The Guitton Journals, 1952-1955. Translation of Journal, études et rencontres, 1952-55)
(Jean Guitton, The Guitton Journals, 1952-1955. Translation of Journal, études et rencontres, 1952-55)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Living Dangerously
Pope Benedict XVI recalled today the dangers faced by Catholic missionaries (priests, nuns and lay people) around the world.
According to the Pope, missionaries have consecrated their existence to bring the gospel to the world and in so doing face hardships and difficulties, and even persecution.
In his speech, Benedict cited the example of the 52-year-old Don Ruggero Ruvoletto, a priest from Padua, Italy, recently slain in Brazil.
Almost a week ago, I dedicated a column (in Italian) to Don Ruvoletto. Read it here.
According to the Pope, missionaries have consecrated their existence to bring the gospel to the world and in so doing face hardships and difficulties, and even persecution.
In his speech, Benedict cited the example of the 52-year-old Don Ruggero Ruvoletto, a priest from Padua, Italy, recently slain in Brazil.
Almost a week ago, I dedicated a column (in Italian) to Don Ruvoletto. Read it here.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Radical Times
"Who was it who said the Times was a Catholic newspaper run by Jews to fool the Protestants? Some professor at Columbia . . ."
(Tom Wolfe, Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers)
(Tom Wolfe, Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers)
Sides
There are two sides to every story, but only one side to the truth.
Resurrecting the Champ is a 2007 drama. The story was inspired by the article "Resurrecting the Champ" by JR Moehringer which appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine in 1997. It told the story of an obscure 1950s boxer, Battlin' Bob Satterfield, who was discovered living on the streets. It went on to be a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. In the movie the setting has been moved to Denver and the fictional Denver Times.
QUOTES:
"A writer, like a boxer, must stand alone. Having your work published, like fighting in a ring, puts your talent on display… Sometimes the results can be disastrous." (Denver Times sports reporter Erik Kernan)
"I appreciate what you're doing, but your copy — it's unimpressive. A lot of typing, not much writing. I forget your pieces while I'm reading them." (Sports editor Ralph Metz)
"The one thing people don't want is the truth." (TV executive Andrea Flak)
Resurrecting the Champ is a 2007 drama. The story was inspired by the article "Resurrecting the Champ" by JR Moehringer which appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine in 1997. It told the story of an obscure 1950s boxer, Battlin' Bob Satterfield, who was discovered living on the streets. It went on to be a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. In the movie the setting has been moved to Denver and the fictional Denver Times.
QUOTES:
"A writer, like a boxer, must stand alone. Having your work published, like fighting in a ring, puts your talent on display… Sometimes the results can be disastrous." (Denver Times sports reporter Erik Kernan)
"I appreciate what you're doing, but your copy — it's unimpressive. A lot of typing, not much writing. I forget your pieces while I'm reading them." (Sports editor Ralph Metz)
"The one thing people don't want is the truth." (TV executive Andrea Flak)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Guidelines
This week, the BBC Trust published updated editorial guidelines for BBC programme makers, producers and journalists.
[Draft Editorial Guidelines (pdf)]
[Draft Editorial Guidelines (pdf)]
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Thirsty, I Drank
I drank milk of martyrs
from breast of virgins,
tears by saints, resin
by crosses, soothing
syrup of seraphim
and cherubim.
I drank the living
water, water
turned into fruit
of vine. I drank
transubstantiated wine -
blood of a god-man.
I was thirsty, I drank.
(Léon Bertoletti, Thirsty, I Drank, The Wild Psalms, III)
from breast of virgins,
tears by saints, resin
by crosses, soothing
syrup of seraphim
and cherubim.
I drank the living
water, water
turned into fruit
of vine. I drank
transubstantiated wine -
blood of a god-man.
I was thirsty, I drank.
(Léon Bertoletti, Thirsty, I Drank, The Wild Psalms, III)
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Normal Actions
Ce que peut la vertu d'un homme ne se doit mesurer par ses efforts, mais par son ordinaire.
(Blaise Pascal, Pensées, XXIX)
A man's worth should be measured by his normal actions not by his special efforts.
(Blaise Pascal, Pensées, XXIX)
A man's worth should be measured by his normal actions not by his special efforts.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
'Gaudeamus Igitur'
Facebook te iuvat coniungere cum hominibus vitae tuae et res tuas eis proponere. Adscribe. Gratuitum est et unicuique interesse licet.
("Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life. Sign Up. It's free and anyone can join.")
Yes, Facebook now speaks Latin.
("Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life. Sign Up. It's free and anyone can join.")
Yes, Facebook now speaks Latin.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Darkness and a Candle
It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.
(Confucius)
(Confucius)
From the Editor
'A bright future for your Evening Standard'
From Monday 12 October your London Evening Standard will become the first quality newspaper in the world to go free.
It will mean that more Londoners than ever before will be able to read its unrivalled coverage of our city. The number of copies printed will more than double to 600,000.
The Evening Standard will remain the same newspaper with the same award-winning journalism.
All your favourite writers and columnists will be in your Evening Standard as normal. All the daily sections - Trends, Beauty and Fashion, London Life, Film and Music - will stay on the same days. ES Magazine will continue to publish on Fridays and Homes & Property on Wednesdays.
More than twice as many copies will be available of our West End Final edition with the latest news, politics and sports coverage from our experienced team of specialists. Our city editor Chris Blackhurst's acclaimed business team, including Anthony Hilton, will provide the latest reports and analysis. The Evening Standard's much-respected columnists including Simon Jenkins and Anne McElvoy will be writing on their regular pages.
Our influential reviews and arts coverage including Brian Sewell on art, Andrew O'Hagan on film, Henry Hitchings on theatre and Fay Maschler on restaurants will continue to reflect the cultural life of London.
Geordie Greig, Editor of the London Evening Standard, said: "This is an historic moment and great opportunity for the London Evening Standard. Its owners will be funding the circulation of over 600,000 copies of the newspaper, making it available to more Londoners than ever before. And most importantly this will be a quality newspaper.
"The Standard has an exciting and secure future with this new, pioneering strategy of more than doubling our distribution. We will remain the only London newspaper committed to a tradition of high quality journalism with the finest writers and undiminished commitment to the best reporting of news, business and sport.
"I also want the paper to continue being a cheerleader for London, the greatest city in the world. We will celebrate where we can but also criticise and expose those who are not doing what is best for London and Londoners."
Alexander Lebedev, Chairman of Evening Standard Ltd, said: "I am confident that more than doubling the London Evening Standard's circulation and maintaining its quality journalism is what is best for London. An essential fabric of a free and democratic society is high quality journalism. It acts as a deterrent against corruption and is a way to highlight what is beneficial and worth celebrating. I want to invest in newspapers in general for this purpose and in the London Evening Standard in particular. The Standard has been producing exceptional journalism since 1827 and that is not going to change under my ownership. The London Evening Standard is the first leading quality newspaper to go free and I am sure others will follow."
Evgeny Lebedev, Executive Director of the London Evening Standard, said: "I have always wanted the Standard to be far-reaching, bringing news to as many people as possible in the capital with the highest quality reporting and influential comment pieces. This new model with at least 600,000 copies being brought to London every day will make a great newspaper accessible to more Londoners than ever before.
"I especially want to ensure that my family underwrites the continuation of its broad and brilliant coverage of the arts, where London dominates the world with theatre, live performances and the visual arts. It is key to my family's thinking to have a great newspaper, celebratory of London but also fearless in its desire to report the news, business and sport brought to as many people as possible. We are committed to maintaining the quality of the Standard as the premier paper in London but with more than twice its current reach."
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Freedom and the Press
Speaking frankly, I find it difficult to accept lessons on press freedom from The Times, a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Deadly Quakes and Tsunami
The Independent today carried a full page picture of a weeping survivor as the Pacific islands of Samoa and Tonga and the Indonesian island of Sumatra both reel from natural disasters.
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