SoloJourno

Writing the Book

For many students, the allure of journalism has always been writing. Sure, plenty may come to love reporting and the thrill of deadlines, but it’s a good bet that most j-school dreams involve becoming a big-name author, not a grizzled beat reporter. In the Winter issue of Nieman Reports, journalists who have written books share their experiences. From tips about memoirs and lessons from a veteran writing coach to an exploration of new business models, there’s plenty within to engage students.

Charlton “Charlie” Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism. (source: Wikipedia)

Charlton “Charlie” Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism. (source: Wikipedia)

Via OpEdNews:

CNN’s star anchor Anderson Cooper narrates a chaotic street scene in Port-au-Prince. A boy is struck in the head by a rock thrown by a looter from a roof. Cooper helps him to the side of the road, and then realizes the boy is disoriented and unable to get away. Laying down his digital camera (but still being filmed by another CNN camera), Cooper picks up the boy and lifts him over a barricade to safety, we hope.

“We don’t know what happened to that little boy,” Cooper says in his report. “All we know now is, there’s blood in the streets.” (To view the CNN story, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvR3m0xMt3Q.)

This is great television, but it’s not great journalism. In fact, it’s irresponsible journalism.

Read the full article by Robert Jensen.