Starclouds

Like everyone else in (science) journalism, I am a). fascinated; b). perplexed; and/or c). terrified by how the Internet is changing our profession. Recently, though, I’ve come across several items that provide a little reassurance—and a challenge. Robert Niles‘ post in Online Journalism Review, Michael Hirschorn’s article in this December’s issue of The Atlantic Monthly, and the surveys done for the new book on local TV news, We Interrupt This Newscast, all come to pretty much the same conclusion: Readers, on or off the Web, do not necessarily have a nanosecond attention span, are not necessarily obsessed with all Britney (and her ilk) all the time, and are willing to wade through quite a lot of detail on topics of real importance. But they do insist on compelling stories told with style, originality, and a distinctive personal voice. Colorless, by-the-numbers reporting leaves them cold, no matter how “important” the story might be.

That’s the reassuring part: the basics of good journalism (and good writing) in the Web era are just what they always were, only more so. But it’s also a challenge, because putting that lesson into practice is a lot easier said than done, for writers, editors and publishers alike.