'Feet of clay' jumps to mind. I've felt uneasy about Eggers over the years, but never could put my finger on it. I guess it takes a reporter to suss things out!
Another good one Will, but sad also and this is from an 87 year old that remembers, when I can remember at all, that the fifties and those times were good to raise a family, as I call it, w/old fashion values, etc. Thanks again Will.
You and Ken are both exactly right about the value of old-time newspaper reporting. Ken was our sports editor at my second paper, the Daily Star, and God knows it's hard to get a big ego when you publish your mistakes in front of all those readers, and direct their attention to it the next day in the corrections section. I suspect Eggers either didn't do his due diligence, or committed the cardinal sin of not letting the facts get in the way of the story. Either way, he is culpable, if slightly forgivable in the first instance because of a lack of training. I started as a reporter, made my embarrassing mistakes, learned from great editors, became an editor, and had a 32-year career in newspapers, which included teaching reporters and younger editors how to avoid my mistakes. Hell, I even had one of my former reporters thank me on Facebook for those lessons. You don't see that everyday. Sadly, that invaluable training is almost gone -- you can't steal from the best when the best no longer exists. Great story, and instructive to anyone headed for journalism these days. Frankly, the burden is now on J-schools to teach the lessons local papers once did, but will they? Please tell Ken that Greg Brown said hi, and that I enjoyed your story.
For those of us who were trained in exactly the community journalism you described - with growing responsibilities and editorial oversight at every step until we ended up in editorial positions ourselves (sadly, most of whom now work in other fields if they're not retired) we can't imagine how this man's history of abuse got past not only the writer - but those who edited his book as well! Many of us lament the loss of training and source of (reliable) info that is rapidly occurring - while not being replaced with similarly reliable and central sources!
Tell the truth and own up to your own mistakes, two good rules to live by, after Do Unto Others.... Thanks for your experienced and sage insight about professionalism in journalism.
'Feet of clay' jumps to mind. I've felt uneasy about Eggers over the years, but never could put my finger on it. I guess it takes a reporter to suss things out!
Another good one Will, but sad also and this is from an 87 year old that remembers, when I can remember at all, that the fifties and those times were good to raise a family, as I call it, w/old fashion values, etc. Thanks again Will.
You and Ken are both exactly right about the value of old-time newspaper reporting. Ken was our sports editor at my second paper, the Daily Star, and God knows it's hard to get a big ego when you publish your mistakes in front of all those readers, and direct their attention to it the next day in the corrections section. I suspect Eggers either didn't do his due diligence, or committed the cardinal sin of not letting the facts get in the way of the story. Either way, he is culpable, if slightly forgivable in the first instance because of a lack of training. I started as a reporter, made my embarrassing mistakes, learned from great editors, became an editor, and had a 32-year career in newspapers, which included teaching reporters and younger editors how to avoid my mistakes. Hell, I even had one of my former reporters thank me on Facebook for those lessons. You don't see that everyday. Sadly, that invaluable training is almost gone -- you can't steal from the best when the best no longer exists. Great story, and instructive to anyone headed for journalism these days. Frankly, the burden is now on J-schools to teach the lessons local papers once did, but will they? Please tell Ken that Greg Brown said hi, and that I enjoyed your story.
For those of us who were trained in exactly the community journalism you described - with growing responsibilities and editorial oversight at every step until we ended up in editorial positions ourselves (sadly, most of whom now work in other fields if they're not retired) we can't imagine how this man's history of abuse got past not only the writer - but those who edited his book as well! Many of us lament the loss of training and source of (reliable) info that is rapidly occurring - while not being replaced with similarly reliable and central sources!
Tell the truth and own up to your own mistakes, two good rules to live by, after Do Unto Others.... Thanks for your experienced and sage insight about professionalism in journalism.