The day I ran the wrong way
AS A YOUNG reporter, I spent many hours—many of them quite boring—sitting through countless sessions at the local magistrates’ court. There was an endless parade of…
The important journalism question I avoided for too long
LIKE A GOURMET meal, the best journalism depends on having the right ingredients. Gifted cooks can make macaroni cheese taste pretty good, but they can’t produce…
The prophet’s guide to good journalism
THE OLD TESTAMENT prophet Habakkuk didn’t set out to write a reporter’s primer, but he offers some great advice in his short book. Good journalism can…
A Kodak moment or a kangaroo court?
THERE IS something rather appropriate about a kangaroo serving as an object lesson in not jumping to conclusions. Perhaps, like me, you “aahed” when you first…
King Content, meet Queen Context
For a journalist and writer, the Bible offers a number of good role models. Moses could tell a great story, though he was a bit repetitive…
From public interest to prurient interest
I’m full of admiration for my journalist peers who risk life, limb, and reputation to report on things that people with power don’t want the world…
The inner life of Brian
There’s a scene in Monty Python’s outrageous The Life of Brian where a crowd gathers outside the home of an ordinary guy mistaken for God incarnate.…
The new communication tightrope: between caution and carelessness
There’s not a long line of people holding numbers and awaiting their turn, but whenever someone asks me whether I think technology has changed the media…
The newsroom and the nunnery
I’ve not done much “in-front-of-the-cameras” journalism. I have a tendency to look rather panicked when a lens is trained on me, and possess what is known…
“Father Brown,” facts, and forgetfulness
I discovered this week that a Facebook friend has family connections to Robert Heinlein, my favorite science fiction author as a teenager. That reminds me of…
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