WARNING: Journalism talk ahead

My editor forwarded this on to us today, and I think it's lovely. For me, some of this is still the heart of why I love this profession, even though the corporate bullshit sucks.

When Ken Paulson left USA Today for the Newseum, he offered these parting words:

...I can certainly understand why newspapers are not viewed as trendy. After all, they were really the iPods of 1690.

But humor me, and consider this alternate history: Imagine if Gutenberg had invented a digital modem rather than a printing press, and that for centuries all of our information had come to us online.

Further, imagine if we held a press conference announcing the invention of an intriguing new product called the “newspaper.”

That press conference might go something like this: “We're pleased to announce a new product that will revolutionize the way you access information. It will save you time and money and keep you better informed than ever before.

“Just consider the hours you've spent on the internet looking for information of interest to you. We've hired specialists who live and work in your hometown to cull information sources and provide a daily report tailored to your community, your friends and your neighbors.

“We also know that you sometimes wonder whether you can trust the information you see online. We plan to introduce a painstaking new process called 'fact-checking' in which we actually verify the information before we pass it along to you.

“In addition to saving time online, you'll also save money. You won't need those expensive color ink cartridges or reams of paper because information will be printed out for you in full color every day.

“You’ll also save money on access charges and those unpleasant fights over who gets time on the computer because this product will be physically delivered to your home at the same time each day, for less than what you would tip the guy from Pizza Hut.

“You worry about your kids stumbling across porn on the internet, but this product is pre-screened and guaranteed suitable for the whole family.

“And in a security breakthrough, we guarantee newspapers to be absolutely virus-free, and promise the elimination of those annoying pop-up ads.

“It's also the most portable product in the world, and doesn’t require batteries or electricity. And when the flight attendant tells you to turn off your electronic devices, you can actually turn this on, opening page after page without worrying about interfering with the plane's radar.

“ To top it all off, you don't need a long-term warranty or service protection program. If you're not happy with this product on any day, we'll redesign it and bring you a new one the next day.”

I can see the headlines now: "Cutting-edge newspapers threaten Google’s survival.”
My point, of course, is that newspapers remain an extraordinary information bargain, and we shouldn't be selling them short or lose sight of the qualities that make American journalism so critical to our democracy.

As I leave USA Today, I’m going down the street to the Newseum, a place with a 74-foot high marble First Amendment tablet, and a commitment to preserving these fundamental freedoms. ...I also want to reflect for a moment on the First Amendment and its importance to both our nation and our profession.

The 45 words of the First Amendment were written in 1791; they’ve gone unchanged but certainly not unchallenged. And collectively those fundamental freedoms have truly made America what it is today.

Throughout world history, what has driven war and division? Very often religious differences spark conflicts. That first generation of Americans said, “I will honor your faith if you honor mine.” What an extraordinary decision to make in 1791.

What else causes instability in this world? What leads to governments being overthrown? Well, typically when the people that they don’t feel they have a voice. So that first generation of Americans said, “You have the power of petition and assembly and the right to speak out whenever you want."

And what leads to revolution and overthrown governments? When the people in charge are corrupt and they abuse their power. The Founding Fathers gave us a free press to keep an eye on our leaders and to stand up to them on behalf of the American people.

What an amazing set of liberties. It’s not a coincidence that the most dynamic, creative and powerful nation in the history of the planet is also the most free.

With the support of the American people, the Founding Fathers created a new and powerful government, but also guaranteed the kind of a free press that would take a stand for liberty and justice. That mission has not changed.

When cuts have to be made and resources are reduced, we need to remember that core commitment to the American people. Some say stock pages are on their way out, others say TV listings are obsolete, but our watchdog role is not expendable. And keeping an eye on people in power is still job one.

I remain bullish about the future of newspapers and the journalism they produce, but there's no question that shifting demographics and emerging technologies like Kindle and its successors will mean that there will one day be a final day of on-paper publication for the last remaining American newspaper. I hope that day is a long time from now.

But on that last day of publication, perhaps when the last newspaper staff has dwindled to one journalist through buyouts, layoffs and furloughs, I'd like to think the last newspaper reporter will be sitting outside the office of a mayor, governor or president, determined to tell Americans what they need to know in that final, final edition. I know that last reporter will be tenacious, committed, and passionate...

I'm leaving a profession I absolutely love, but I leave it with the confidence that American Journalism will prevail, regardless of platform or medium.

When we do our jobs the right way, when we strive every day to publish reports of integrity and balance, when we ask the tough questions, when we fight to keep the public’s business public and when we provide the kind of thorough and balanced reporting that is the life blood of a democracy, we fulfill our promise to that first generation of Americans who believed that one of the best ways to guarantee a democracy was a free and vigorous press.

We owe our readers and viewers a daily report that we’re proud of, embracing our First Amendment freedoms while living up to our professional responsibilities.

There are people counting on us.

WARNING: Lizard Sex Pictured Below

Oh! You didn't look away fast enough, did you?

Headline: Ancient Sex Lizard Makes Babies

The National Geographic, or NatGeo, tells us this New Zealand tuatara (the one on top), a rare direct descendant of dinosaurs that walked the Earth 225 million years ago, is 111 and just fathered 11 babies.

Tuataras can live to be 250 years old, so really, he's only middle aged.

His keepers thought he was "out of the mating game" because he was very grumpy and attacked other tuataras who came near him -- even females -- until they removed a cancerous tumor from his genitals.

Yep, that would do it, all right.

Our nation's Capitol

Just thought I'd post some of the photos I took while I was in D.C. this weekend. It was a great, lovely, cold, snowy, icy trip, so wonderful to see Kevin, as always. We crammed in visits to the National Archives, two Smithsonians, a monument tour and a delicious tapas-and-paella dinner at Jaleo.

We got the hookup tour through Mike's congressional connections with our own park ranger from the Department of the Interior, who drove us around all day and explained all the mouments' symbolism and history to us.

A LOT of the setup from the inauguration was still in place, especially around the Capitol, and there were a great many porta-potties still on the National Mall, and the only good view we could get of The People's House was from the top of the Washington Monument.

Here are some views:

Our Capitol, as seen from the top of the Washington Monument.

My favorite president -- so far.

The Supreme Court.

The People's House.

Yes, that's the real Constitution.

The World War II Memorial.

Our nation's largest penis. Oh, I mean, The Washington Monument.

Many Bears of Thursday

Thanks to Patti for the Many Bears of Thursday. They are at the Chengdu breeding center in China. I would love that job.

Them: "Here, we'll pay you to play with baby Panda bears. You'll bottle feed them and cuddle them."

Me: "Um, YES!"

I'm getting very excited for my trip to D.C. on Saturday, except for the getting up at 5:30 a.m. part.

Hope everyone watched the new show "Lie to Me" last night, because my fabulously talented nephew did the sets. Tim Roth was, as usual, awesome. It was a pretty interesting show. I could see myself getting into it. Check it out if you get a chance, Wednesdays at 9 on Fox.

Today would have been my daddy's 86th birthday, so I'm going to wish him a happy one anyway. Who knows? Maybe he will hear me.

A rare day

Wow. Just wow. Check out the front of the Capitol and all the way down the National Mall. Two miles of people, all cheering.

And it did, indeed, snow in MB today. It didn't stick, but it snowed.

So...

It feels like forever since I last posted here. No particular reason for the absence, really. Maybe just too lazy. Heh heh.

Thanks to Peter, Kevin and Dan, I had a lovely birthday weekend bash in Boston, playing Wii until all hours of the night (Yay for Raving Rabbids!), visiting witchy old Salem and eating too much amazing food. They took me to Blue Ginger in Wellesley for my birthday, and while I never was that tempted watching chef Ming Tsai cook on PBS, his restaurant is incredible.

Plus, because Kevin and Dan's friends Al and Doug joined us, I got to spend my birthday with five handsome men.

What more could a girl ask for? Well, Clive Owen wasn't there, but I understand. He's busy.

Then, right after I got back from Boston, Ms. Schnakenberg graced me with a visit, all the way from Bangkok. Well, really she was just coming from Baltimore, where she visited before MB as part of her Month in the US Tour.

We shopped, or rather she shopped, we ate, we watched movies, we talked and talked and talked and plotted me going to Bangkok, maybe next year.

And this Saturday, I'm catching an early flight up to D.C. to spend five days. The first three will be all sightseeing, and the last two, I'm covering our city's lobbying trip as officials try to nab some of the new federal stimulus money.

Kevin's coming down from Boston to meet me for Sunday and Monday, and because he has never been to D.C. before, we're going to try and squeeze in as much museum time as possible. At least two Smithsonians -- Natural History and Air and Space, I think -- the Spy Museum, Ford's Theater, all on the list.

My friend Mike, who works for a California congressman, is hooking us up with a VIP tour of the monuments on Monday, with our very own park ranger who will drive us from place to place so we don't have to try and run the National Mall, and even take us up the top of the Washington Monument. He said the tour includes Arlington Cemetery, which is always moving, and maybe more so now because of the Iraq War graves.

If there's a way to fit in the White House, I'm gonna try. But it seems doubtful. There's just too much else to see, and we won't have time to wait in line. That's the other thing about the VIP tour -- no waiting. Because we are VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE, dammit.

I'll bring my laptop because I'll have to file stories from DC, so I'll try and download some pictures, too.

It'll be fun to go back there. I haven't been since I left in 88, and I haven't seen the FDR memorial yet. But I'm packing long underwear, because it's going to be frozen tundra up there.

Speaking of which, we have an 80 percent chance of SNOW in Myrtle Beach tomorrow. 80-freakin--percent. Snow.

And they say there's nothing to this climate-change thing. Huh.

Anyhow, Happy New Year. Buon Anno.

A workaday Christmas

Despite the 72 scanner calls about respiratory distress and having to eat fajitas for Christmas dinner, it's been a pretty nice day.

My roommate gave me a DIY book on small home repairs and projects -- thinking maybe next time she breaks her sink I can fix it, plus a new game and, best of all (or maybe worst of all for my diet) a panini press. And not just like some cheap-ass George Foreman grill, it's a Breville.

Dang.

I feel bad now that I just got her a teapot-for-one, some shi-shi teas and a Barnes & Noble gift card.

The day is almost over, and tomorrow I get to fly to Boston for my birthday weekend. So excited. I'm already packed, except for my jewelry and a couple other last-minute essentials and am sooo ready to go. Go go go.