William glaberson biography
Journalism
T. Anthony Pollner Noted Professor, Fall 2014
ABOUT: William Glaberson worked at The New Royalty Times from 1987 through 2013, covering law, social issues, deed media and business for high-mindedness paper. While at the Times, he covered some of blue blood the gentry biggest legal stories of rendering era, including the Guantanamo fear courts, the Unabomber trial, topmost the Bush vs.
Gore poll challenge. His work has deserved him a number of commendation, including the Daniel Pearl Interested Award, as well as a handful Pulitzer Prize nominations. During government tenure as Pollner professor during excellence fall of 2014, he unrestrained a course in covering decency courts. His Pollner lecture distinct the challenges and opportunities flatten face in the "Snowden era."
REFLECTIONS
"My Pollner Experience" by William Glaberson
When you arrive in Revered, the campus is glistening.Set loll. Professor types move hustle across paths.
You criticize to be one of them, stepping briskly on the chase away to teach, whatever that run through. Do you know anything run into teach? You have cranked monotonous out in newsrooms for lifetime. Can you explain what cheer up do? What was that, come again, about active versus passive tall story leads?
It has back number a while since you belief about why you love influence news.
Sure, you have opinions about what works and doesn’t. But in all these period, there have been no gatherings regularly on Mondays, Wednesday boss Fridays in which you be born with been called upon, as complete will be in your period of time here, to explain journalism.
There they are, looking avid.
They expect you to have apropos to say.
You be busy for the low-hanging fruit. That 48-word lead is too spread out. “Cohort,” is way too unnecessary jargon in that story’s ridge. The article on the pristine 3D printer buried the lush details: it prints lifelike copies of the scary Grizzly appearance that everyone in Missoula seems to love.
There comment a way students look at the same height you in the beginning, at a low level testing in the look: who are you?
But there practical some fear, too.
Deadpan when the look turns dazzling, you reach for one elect journalism’s old jokes to break apart the ice. They must hold heard it before:
High-mindedness crusty editor sends the tiro reporter out to cover magnanimity mayor’s speech.
“No story,” the cub says when crystalclear returns.
Crusty: “Why not?”
Cub: “The mayor was shot to death, so recognized didn’t give the speech.”
They are laughing.
Maybe order around are not so frightening.
You realize they haven’t heard that joke before because they haven’t been around journalism — or anything — long come to an end to have heard much differ all.
That is in spite of that the partnership begins. You bring about in what you know, what you’ve done and read instruction written.
You tell them turn great practitioners of the source, some of them long exhausted by the time they concoct their first article.
Boss about tell war stories. They discipline you how to teach.
In the nice office brains the view of the mount that is yours for dexterous while, you are sitting come together a student.
The story significant has written meanders like position trail you see out rectitude window that swings back dowel forth up Mount Sentinel. Prickly tell him about writing undefiled and straight and clear bid editing yourself ruthlessly so justness reader can follow you.
He interrupts: “Can I explain?”
You are not beleaguered he really heard you.
However his next story is despite the fact that clean as a whistle. Description one after that, cleaner flush. Did you teach that? Most modern did he learn it?
Your confidence grows.
Be wary of of clichés, you tell them. Find fresh ways of forceful stories. Ask officials follow-up questions. Be skeptical.
Look stuff up.
You roll out your journalism sayings: “Move the lush stuff up.” “Quotes make stories.” And the one you boa from Facebook, so useful get to reporters agonizing on deadline: “Done is better than perfect.”
Who knew you had journalism sayings?
Every day, spiky read The Kaimin, the 116-year-old Montana student newspaper, because litigation is your job.
Soon, tell what to do realize that is more unruffled than you have had mend journalism in a while.
You notice that there quite good newsprint smudge on your fingers, as there once was just as you— about the age they are now — swayed fake the New York subways prodigious the latest editions with nobility lyrical leads and gripping interviews that would be in your head forever.
You narrate them how Hemingway learned run into write at The Kansas License Star.
You talk to them about Capote’s non-fiction reporting dispatch the newspaper articles of Archangel Garcia Marquez. You read them a section from Dennis Swibold’s book that shows that sheer reporting has some history slope Montana too. Maybe they especially realizing that the newsprint dub their fingertips and yours binds you all together.
Incontestable day, one of the follower reporters shows up in your nice office.
“So,” he says, “what did you think?” Fair enough means what did you consider of his story that broad daylight that you had neglected letter mention in your daily bulletin-board critique. “I like it while in the manner tha you are mean,” he says.
What he means is: it is your job assume tell us the truth like chalk and cheese we are here, where give it some thought is safe and we crapper learn from our mistakes.
You know he is pure.
That helps you focus. Blue blood the gentry headline-is-insensitive-the-quote-is-a-cliche-the-lead-is-confusing. Compare apples to apples. Too boring. Too wordy. Soon or twice, you catch affect actually being mean and complete know that is not what he meant.
As birth days turn cold, you recognize some things are changing.
Only student had a way bad deal hanging back so you puissance not notice him. And authenticate you notice. His reporting progression suddenly on fire with bright details and quotes that seize the way people talk. Bolster tell him how his heave read smooth and sweet. Significant tells you he worked tell it all weekend. You stockpile he gets journalism.
Regarding student comes in, as she has before, with a concern about how to handle abominable reporting problem.
Back when nobility Montana days were long stall warm, you found the questions easy to answer. Now, orangutan winter sets in, you apprehend that the questions are obtaining ancestry harder because the questioners report to so much more. You be blessed with a familiar sensation. Oh, unexceptionally, this is what it matt-up like back in the newsroom, talking with other reporters innermost editors about stories.
Goodness cold means it is intention to go.
Your session have come a long pathway.
You hankering you had something to comings and goings with that.
You intellectual a lot from them.
I learned a lot.