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Topic: Letters Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 4/25/2005 1:39:22 PM
Title: Take a humility pill and chill
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
From JUSTIN McLAUGHLIN: I learned what "professional journalists" were like my first few days as a White House intern, where among other things, I answered calls from reporters. (An internship that I got on merit, thank you, without any "connections" that one former Spin intern insists below are necessary for really good internships).

There was the Today Show producer who called me a moron, the Houston Chronicle reporter who threatened to set off a bomb because no one had called him back, the freelancer who called me 30 times a day for a measly quote for her measly spec article, the camerman who yelled at me because security wouldn't open the gate he wanted them to open, the photographer who had to be man-handled by the Secret Service because he ignored my instructions, the CNBC crew that got in trouble for moving a table in the VP's ceremonial office that I told them not to move and the small-time Pennsylvania newspaper that thought it deserved special access to Tom Ridge, etc. You get the idea. They showed the kind of people "professional journalists" are and I can see from the rude, ageist and downright arrogant comments re: Krystal Grow's column that I was right.

But, I have to thank all of you, because now that I am a "professional
journalist" -- at the ripe old age of 23 -- I have a very clear image of the kind of reporter I don't want to turn into: The kind who responds to an open, honest column with such disdain and unrelenting (an undeserved) superiority. Those of you who have been in the business way too long can take a lesson from us youngsters in humility. Grow's column is a good place to start.

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