Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
Image from United States Library of Congress's National Digital Library Program via Wikimedia Commons
Find out what it's really like to be a journalist. Read about the shadowy world of foreign reporting, learn what makes a great article and delve into the history of journalism
Journalist tries to explain how he writes. Ideal is to suspend your inner critic, write first and worry later. But that's hard to make happen. Only practical answer: frequent deadlines
American journalists go too far in their wish to appear impartial. They give equal time to the wise and the foolish, report absurd propositions without comment, especially in political reporting
Newspaper journalism bogged down in boilerplate quotes, unnecessary background, hyped-up leads, clunky endings. Job is to get essential facts out quickly
Poignant note on role of fixers in journalism, following death of Sultan Munadi. They take biggest risks, get smallest rewards
Reporters are good at telling you what just happened, but they rarely admit to what they don't know, and they usually obscure how they got their information
New York writer turns 31, takes stock. If you are, or have ever been, a freelancer, you will probably find this short essay enthralling. If not, then maybe pass it by
Veteran journalist explains how to begin a piece of writing. You have to be honest and direct. "A lead is a promise. It promises that the piece is going to be like this. If it is not going to be so, don't use the lead"
Nick Denton, owner of Gawker, tells his staff how to write a traffic-grabbing blog post. Profane, depressing, revealing. "The staples of old yellow journalism are the staples of the new yellow journalism"
Interview with Alan Whicker, British broadcaster, veteran travel journalist, national treasure. Every sentence a gem. "Papa Doc was never vile to me". "I have hardly ever been shot"
Journalists covering disasters feel "ghoulish and intrusive", but in bearing witness they are doing something useful, and can usually count on sympathy from victims and aid workers
Wonderful essay on the relationship between science and journalism. Charts the importance of phatic discourse and its rebirth through current science blog culture. Cites Montaigne as 'natural born blogger'
Despite lame title, excellent overview of newspaper industry from Guardian editor. Business model still problematic. Editorial model improving as mainstream learns from blogosphere
Playwright argues in favour of imaginative works based on current events. Art restores mystery to life, whereas journalism seeks to strip it away. "The paradox of great factual work is that it restores wonder"
In a break from our usual practice of focusing on books, we asked the journalism analyst and veteran blogger to recommend five articles illustrating the upheavals of the news business
