This morning, Saturday, February 11, on Morning Edition Scott Simon did a very moving piece about kidnapped freelance journalist Jill Carroll. The thing that he said that sent me through the roof was this:
"In 2003, she went to [Baghdad] because that is where the biggest story was, and
she wanted to be a part of it."
Before I get too pissy and pedantic, let me say that I am not a professional journalist, and I have never tried to pass myself off as such. Most everything I know about writing comes from writing cogent term papers and being a "fearless reader." I took one lonely J-School class as an undergrad a long time ago because I wanted the background further on down the academic road. But I never took a class that was wasted. (I could pass any test today that I ever took at any point in my academic career.) And the thing I took away from that lonely Journalism class was that if a journalist becomes a part of the story, they have failed in their mission to impart fair and accurate information.
I took that with me, and I apply it to my academic/scientific career and research efforts. If I see my own footprints on my research, my data is suspect."After you finish the piece you have written for submission, step outside
yourself and read it as a subscriber who just opened their paper to read with
their morning coffee. If at any point you see your own footprints on the
story, tear it up and start over, because you have failed in your journalistic
endeavor."
Like I said, I hate to split hairs, I really do - but sometimes it just has to be done. I expect such piffle from Fox News and the Geraldo anti-journalist crowd. But damnit, like I said, I just ecxpect better from NPR.
