New York Times public editor Arthur Brisbane recently poked a hornet's nest when when he wondered aloud whether hard-news reporters should call out public officials when they make false statements.

The response from readers?

"The fact that you would ask something so dumb simply reveals how far you've sunk. Of course you should be REPORTING THE TRUTH!"

Of course, a reporter's primary mission is always to find the truth. The problem is, it's not always that easy. Here's why:

Should Journalists Be Objective or Tell the Truth?

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Much of the controversy over website paywalls has focused on big papers like The New York Times. But if local newspapers are to survive they may increasingly have to charge for online access as well.

So can local papers make paywalls work for them? My thoughts.

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When we talk, we have a natural ability to condense and summarize our ideas, to simplify them so that our listeners will understand

But when we start to write many of us gum up our sentences with overly wordy phrases and big words.

Here's how to change that.

In Journalism, Simple Writing is the Goal

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Have you ever seen an interview where the interviewee says something absolutely outrageous, and the reporter fails to challenge the statement or ask a follow-up question? I have, and to say it's annoying is an understatement. But here's how you can avoid making that same mistake:

Be Ready to Ask Tough Follow-up Questions

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Photo by Tony Rogers