Weeklies

I’ve never been to school specifically for this thing called journalism. I thought about it, but I only tolerated my undergraduate education from a formality stand-point. At the time that the decision was made, writing and conducting interviews seemed like something better learned by experience, at least for me.

Despite my lack of a higher-higher degree and my general disinterest in the politics of university life, I am driven to learn. I read whatever I can get my hands on, and especially love trying to get at the heart of things. Education broken in Maine? Why? Tell me, show me, or get out of my way.

The same behavior applies to my job as a journalist. Why do we do things the way they are done? My editor has a philosophy about what is “news.” It has only just occurred to me that his philosophy, if thought about a little bit, could actually be applied as a theory. He subscribes to the “quote, fact, quote,” theory of journalism. Let people say what they will and surround them with just enough narrative glue that you know what they’re talking about.

I enjoy that method, but I don’t believe it is the most effective. Especially given the current shift from paper and tv to Internet, literal journalism will be replaced. Instead, the predominant theory will look something like, “do your best and wait to be corrected.” No one is an expert in everything. I may have been assigned to the school “beat” but that does not make me an expert. Encourage people to correct what you write, and then encourage them to read your corrections. Develop a relationship with the people who you can’t hope to inform with ivory tower journalism. Media is only your enemy if you ignore it until you need it.