This is a blog for journalists, authors, and those who enjoy reading and learning. Here you will find a variety of posts about all forms of writing–from fiction and non-fiction to the news media and journalism. It is produced by a former foreign correspondent and journalism school dean.
You would think that with all of the dire news about the future of journalism and journalists flying around that journalism schools would be feeling the pinch. Not so. In fact, demand for journalism courses has never been higher. According to a recent survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education, … Read more…
After a multi-month hiatus I am back at the computer working on a couple of books and trying to keep my blog updated. Just moved from Illinois to the Southern California wine country and if I can keep my hands on the keyboard and off the wine bottles, I will … Read more…
Just finished doing an interview on the Sandy Rios Show. The topic? Should the government bail out newspapers? My answer to that is a resounding: “No!” Newspapers are just one arm of the professional news business–or journalism, if you will. There is also television–the networks and cable. Once upon a … Read more…
Writing for Nonreaders in the Post-Print EraRecently a friend sent me a tongue-in-cheek outline for a new course called “Writing for Nonreaders in the Post-Print Era.” The course carried the following description: “As print takes its place alongside smoke signals, cuneiform, and hollering, there has emerged a new literary age, … Read more…
What does the landscape of journalism look like today—or more specifically, the world of newspaper journalism? In one of the most famous quotes about newspapers, Thomas Jefferson once said: “…were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I … Read more…
What will happen in 2009 on the various news fronts? For example, whither the economy—both national and global? What about international events? Where will the news come from? Where will the hot spots be? What will be the major national stories? I have shaken the bones and cast them upon … Read more…
By Ronald E. Yates What will happen in 2009 on the various news fronts? For example, whither the economy—both national and global? What about international events? Where will the news come from? Where will the hot spots be? What will be the major national stories? I have shaken the bones … Read more…
I promised in this blog to write about areas of international interest in general and the work of foreign correspondents in particular. If you have followed the blog thus far you have been treated to some pieces I wrote while a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. While these may … Read more…
(Among the more tragic stories I covered in my career was the Tiananmen Square tragedy—or massacre—depending on one’s perspective. It occurred almost 20 years ago in the world’s largest square with much of the world watching. Here are my recollections of that terrible night—one that I shall never forget. Ron … Read more…