When the Rocky Mountain News closed earlier this year, journalists were angry. They blamed (among other things) the cost of production, the ubiquity of free information and the rise of the citizen journalist.
The truth is, those who found themselves with a little free time and a broadband internet connection uncovered the hidden truth that professional journalists have kept secret for decades; namely, that collecting and reporting the news is fun. Journalism is a selfish profession, and reporters take and take and take without ever giving back to the audience they boast of serving.
I love to ask people questions. I crave the thrill of discovery, and sometimes I'll draw someone out just to bait them into talking about something they love. I don't really listen, I just watch them get excited and nod approvingly every other minute or so. I like people, and when I ferret out something interesting it's not for you but for me. I want you to pay attention to me, to love me even if it's only for the few fleeting hours when the camera goes snicker-snap beneath my fingertips.
A hidden truth? Perhaps not, but just consider that maybe reporters chase stories at odd hours in the rain, snow and sleet not as a public service, but rather out of a masochistic need to prove they're important. To prove that they're valuable, that they and only they possess something worth paying attention to.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch and this track got me through finals.
The truth is, those who found themselves with a little free time and a broadband internet connection uncovered the hidden truth that professional journalists have kept secret for decades; namely, that collecting and reporting the news is fun. Journalism is a selfish profession, and reporters take and take and take without ever giving back to the audience they boast of serving.
I love to ask people questions. I crave the thrill of discovery, and sometimes I'll draw someone out just to bait them into talking about something they love. I don't really listen, I just watch them get excited and nod approvingly every other minute or so. I like people, and when I ferret out something interesting it's not for you but for me. I want you to pay attention to me, to love me even if it's only for the few fleeting hours when the camera goes snicker-snap beneath my fingertips.
A hidden truth? Perhaps not, but just consider that maybe reporters chase stories at odd hours in the rain, snow and sleet not as a public service, but rather out of a masochistic need to prove they're important. To prove that they're valuable, that they and only they possess something worth paying attention to.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch and this track got me through finals.
12:48 AM |
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