do you want to remember why you love journalism? read this.

an incredible piece by the village voice's departing wayne barrett:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/01/wayne_barrett_t_2.php

 

Incredibly cocksure and bloated, maybe. How many times can a man quote himself or build himself up in one article?

It reminded me of Rick Reilly's story on Jim Murray, had Murray written it himself and not used a comma correctly even once.

 

don't disagree. but it struck me that it took someone with those qualities to do what barrett has done so long and so well in the snakepit of nyc politics. if he's tooting his own horn here, well, so be it. i back the values he espouses -- and has proven he lives by -- and am hardly bothered by the prickly, egomaniacal grandstanding. nearly every great reporter i know has those qualities -- as well as many other neuroses hidden or displayed -- and i'd argue that they're probably somehow necessary to do the job the way it needs to be done. political coverage there will suffer, at least in the short term, by his absence....

 

I read the Voice on occasion, and obviously that means reading Barrett. And I agree, he's good at what he does, and that role is an important one in journalism.

With that said ... he saved the worst for last.

 

What do you think is incredible about the piece?

 

Lots to be learned from Barrett: on top of his whip-sharp reporting skills, there's his philosophy which, tragically for journalism, is now in the minority:

"Across all these years, I almost never wrote in the first person and, even when I did, the piece was still packed with reportage."

"When I was asked in recent years to blog frequently, I wouldn't do it unless I had something new to tell a reader, not just a clever regurgitation of someone else's reporting."

"...that the joy of our profession is discovery, not dissertation."

 

ringer sums it up for me: barrett distilled what i have always loved and argued for in journalism into one piece. i don't care whether it's self-serving; he's proven over the decades by his work, his actions, that this is his philosophy. and these days, when so many writers and bloggers and business types find less and less value in it, i find that incredibly moving.

 

I got halfway through it. I guess there are some legitimate journalism values included, but mostly it came across as "Look at me! I've graced you with my presence since 1972! I'm better than bloggers! Now you can't have me any more!" I can get that same arrogance by reading any football recruiting story.

 

Don't know about you guys, but I got into journalism for the great pay, benefits and overall growing job prospectus.

 

I got into it for the good hours and time to spend with family.

 

I got into it because it sounded cool when I was a kid and I'm really bad at adjusting after I've made a choice.

 

Welcome, Urban Meyer, to the board.