Page 49 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

3

Words: The Foundation Stone

of Journalism

What difference does it make if you live in a picturesque little outhouse
surrounded by 300 feeble minded goats and your faithful dog ...? The
question is: Can you write?
—Ernest Hemingway

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A good friend and office mate of mine had this quote taped to the door
of our office for several years. It stuck with me long after we parted
company, not because of the question itself, but because of the writing
that sets up the question. “A picturesque little outhouse” is a phrase
we wouldn’t normally turn these days. “Feeble minded goats?” Same
deal. In asking “Can you write?” Hemingway shows us the benefits of
writing itself.
With the proliferation of Internet sites that promote open expres-
sion, a great many voices that would not otherwise have been heard
can now reach large audiences. For example, the Drudge Report has
gained acceptance in some media circles while still operating outside of
mainstream journalism. Others, with varying degrees of success, have
also issued reporting-style Web sites.
Student Web pages can serve as posting boards for everything from
Spring Break pictures to political manifestos. A number of Web sites
have turned content provision over to readers, allotting space for indi-
viduals to host Web logs, or blogs as they are more commonly known.
This proliferation of media options appears to have created a true