The recent passing of former New York mayor Ed Koch reminded me of one of my favorite feature leads of all time, written in 1980 by one of the AP’s all-time greats, Saul Pett:
“NEW YORK — He is the
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Explainers are one way for journalists to give audiences the knowledge they need to better understand the news or the world around them. Crafting an effective explainer requires savvy news judgment, inquisitive reporting and the skills to tell a strong … Read more
The Carrie Bradshaws of the literary world are out of vogue. “Sex and the City”‘s Bradshaw and other female protagonists in chick lit from the ’90s and early 2000s had glamorous jobs in print journalism. Now, bloggers who work long … Read more
In a recent essay, I described how Tom French and I wrote our books using what I called “the buddy system.” In response, one writer tweeted: “Wish I had a buddy.”
So where do you find a buddy? And … Read more
In April 2011, Kelley Benham gave birth four months early. Her daughter Juniper’s birth was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Instead, it was marked by physical and emotional pain, shock, and uncertainty about whether the micro preemie, who weighed just 1 pound … Read more
I began work at the Poynter Institute in 1979. My first assignment was to edit a collection of prizewinning newspaper stories. ASNE had just introduced their distinguished writing awards, honoring four ink-stained wretches. My job was to select the best … Read more
I love names that begin with the letter Q, and this essay includes two of them: the British man-of-letters Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and the Roman rhetorician (c. 35 – 100 AD) Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, better known as Quintilian. Sir Arthur … Read more
Every journalist I know has faced the dreaded annual assignment: holidays, anniversaries, recurring events. These come down to writers not as sharp story ideas, but as topics: Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, the annual … Read more
When I look back on the history of The New York Times, it rarely appears to be what some might call a “writer’s paper.” While there has always been great reporting and editing talent at the newspaper, one senses the … Read more