How does writing for the web, phones, etc. differ from writing a newspaper article?
CB: Well, the writing has to be even shorter and catchier on Twitter, which kind of lends itself more to being able to write advertising copy. So there’s another skill today’s journalists need. We have to grab readers by the hand and hold them. We have to get past the information glut. But since the Web is non-linear, we can have more depth than ever for details, details, details. Space is unlimited out there on the Web. Do you think the focus on technology and other factors will change the personality or the type of person who is attracted to the journalism field? CB: No. All good journalists are, at their core, progressive reformers. People who love to be there when history’s being made. Kind of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Sherlock Holmes types – with a touch of Rambo if you’re a foreign correspondent these days, especially. Honorable journalists have always fought for freedom. Over 800 have been killed in the line of duty since 1992. In Iraq, 141 have been killed, 89 of those murdered, z
