Another Voice on Improving Reporters’ Value
Saul Friedman, a 1963 Nieman Fellow and former White House correspondent for Newsday and Knight Ridder newspapers, writes at Neiman Watchdog Blog:
Why can’t reporters who cover their beats well and who become as expert as possible in that field–the law, courts, medicine, consumerism, politics, the Congress, even the presidency–write for their newspapers as if they’re writing a book or a magazine piece? If they are truly expert, as many reporters are, they need not depend on someone else for a meaningless quote. They should be freed from the constraints of “he said, she said” and provide narrative journalism, which is much more interesting than “on the other handism.” And it may come closer to the truth.
Sounds like what I have been trying to say about raising the value of journalists. I will add to that in the next couple of days. One planned blog will be aimed at making local reporters national experts and the other is dealing with editors who are not up to the task of dealing with a national talent in their midst.
Thanks to Romenesko for the tip.