- ALTHOUGH THEY RELY ON THEM, few people say they actually trust the news media. (I call it “Ross’ Paradox.”)
- Everybody has a story. And many want to share it.
- Newswriting is a form of reality-creation, wherein readers trust you to describe the world beyond their immediate perceptions. Don’t ever abuse that trust.
- Every face is a door, and if you knock just right, you’ll be invited in to witness wonders.
- First-responders have the darkest sense of humor of anyone outside of reporters. It’s an evolutionary strategy that serves both well.
- Deadlines wait for no one.
- Getting it fast is no substitute for getting it right.
- Own your mistakes.
- Requests for revisions and rewrites aren’t personal, so don’t take them that way.
- Everybody wants to see their name in print.
- Nobody wants to see their name in print.
- The quickest way to get someone to return your call is to leave a message along the lines of, “If I can’t reach them for comment by deadline, I’ll have to say, ‘they could not be reached for comment by deadline.'”
- The search for excellence is never-ending.
- If you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t. But if you still think so, it may be time to retire.
- Likewise if you think you know it all.
- Sometimes, it’s a mill. But don’t let that grind you down.
- If you spend more than a year on the job, expect to write the same story more than once. (Especially cyclic or seasonal stories.)
- Never use your real name as a byline.
- Succinctness counts.
- The only way Out is Through.
Those Who Know, Chuckle.
