About 20 years ago, I was invited to Washington, D.C. for a gathering of reporters and editors where we talked about some of our best work and shared tips about digging up good stories.
Those talks consumed our days. Afternoons and evenings, though, were left to us. So I did a lot of the tourist things any first-time visitor does — the Smithsonian, the zoo, the memorials and monuments.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmqFE 2 E@A AC:@C:EJ 7@C >6 H2D E96 w@=@42FDE |6>@C:2= |FD6F>] p?5 E9:D H66<[ E96 feE9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 =:36C2E:@? @7 E96 pFD49H:EK 562E9 42>A[ 3C@F89E >6 C:89E 324< E@ E92E G:D:E — 2D 5:5 E96 :>286D 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 @7 p>6C:42?D DE@C>:?8 @FC r2A:E@= :? %\D9:CED 46=63C2E:?8 pFD49H:EK]k^Am
kAmx 8C6H FA :? r9:428@[ >J ?6:893@C9@@5 2 >6=E:?8 A@E @7 4@=@CD 2?5 4F=EFC6D] ~?6 7C:6?5 H2D vC66< ~CE9@5@I] x ?6G6C C62=:K65 E96 5C62> @7 <:DD:?8 E96 7:CDE 8:C= x 925 2 4CFD9 @? :? D:IE9 8C256[ r9C:DE:?6 wF896D[ 3642FD6 D96 =67E E96 ?6IE J62C 7@C r2E9@=:4 D49@@=]k^Am
kAmp?5 H96? x H2D :? ;F?:@C 9:89 D49@@=[ x 2EE6?565 D:I @C D6G6? 32C >:EKG29D — E96 46=63C2E:@? @7 2 y6H:D9 3@J 4@>:?8 @7 286 — 2E E96 DJ?28@8F6D :? @FC 2C62]k^Am
kAm&?E:= E9@D6 >:EKG29D[ x 925 ?6G6C C62==J =@@<65 2E >J y6H:D9 7C:6?5D 2?J 5:776C6?E=J E92? >J @E96C 7C:6?5D] p7E6CH2C5[ x DFC6 5:5 — x H2?E65 2 8:2?E A2CEJ H96? x EFC?65 `b[ E@@[ H:E9 =@ED @7 AC6D6?ED 2?5 2 762DE 2E E96 =@42= 4@F?ECJ 4=F3]k^Am
kAmqFE x 8F6DD65 >J y6H:D9 7C:6?5D 925 DF776C65 E9C@F89 2 =@E @7 r9C:DE>2D6D H96? x 8@E AC6D6?ED 2?5 2== E96J 8@E H2D D@>6 ?6H D@4<D 2?5 2 7F??J E@A E@ A=2J H:E9[ 2?5 =67E :E 2E E92E]k^Am
kAm}@E 7@C =@?8[ E9@F89]k^Am
kAm|J 8C2?572E96C — >J >@E96C’D 72E96C — 7@F89E 9:D H2J E9C@F89 }@CE9 p7C:42[ xE2=J[ uC2?46 2?5 :?E@ v6C>2?J :? (@C=5 (2C xx[ 2?5 42>6 9@>6 H:E9 EH@ >6>6?E@D — E96 r@=E |@56= `h`` ]cd A:DE@= E92E 96 42CC:65 24C@DD 2== E9@D6 4@F?EC:6D[ 2?5 2 }2K: 7=28 9:D F?:E 42AEFC65 D@>6H96C6 :? xE2=J]k^Am
kAm|J 8C2?572E96C C2C6=J E2=<65 23@FE E96 H2C[ 3FE 96 5:5 ECJ E@ E6249 >6 23@FE H92E E92E 7=28 C6AC6D6?E65 2?5 9@H >2?J >6? 96 925 D66? 5:6 ECJ:?8 E@ 56762E E96 D4@FC86 @7 ?2E:@?2= D@4:2=:D>]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ :E H2D?’E F?E:= x H2=<65 :?E@ E96 w@=@42FDE >FD6F> E92E x C62==J F?56CDE@@5 — 2?5 F?56CDE@@5 7F==J E92E 36:?8 2 y6H H2D 23@FE >@C6 E92? 86EE:?8 2 3:8 A2CEJ H96? J@F EFC?65 `b]k^Am
kAmxE H2D E96 2CE:724ED E92E DECF4< 4=@D6DE E@ 9@>6 2?5 =67E >6 2=>@DE 3C62E9=6DD] %96 >@F?5D @7 6J68=2DD6D E2<6? 7C@> AC:D@?6CD 2D E96J 6?E6C65 E96 82D 492>36CD] %96 32CC6=D 7F== @7 8@=5 E66E9 6IEC24E65 7C@> E96 >@FE9D @7 E96 5625] %96 D9@6D H9@D6 7:?2= A246D 925 =65 E96:C @H?6CD E@ E96 82E6D @7 E9@D6 96==:D9 42>AD]k^Am
kAm%96 ?F>36CD 2C6 ;FDE ?F>36CD — e >:==:@? y6HD 2?5 `` >:==:@? >@C6 !@=6D 2?5 #FDD:2?D 2?5 5:D23=65 2?5 5:DD:56?ED 2?5 9@>@D6IF2=D — F?E:= E96 2CE:724ED =2J 32C6 E96 ECFE9 E92E 6G6CJ ?F>36C H2D 2 =:G:?8[ 3C62E9:?8[ =@G:?8 A6CD@?] $@>6@?6’D A2C6?E @C 49:=5[ 7C:6?5 @C =@G6C]k^Am
kAm$FC6=J[ x E9@F89E 2D x H2=<65 E9C@F89 E96 >FD6F>[ DFC6=J ?@E9:?8 =:<6 E9:D 6G6C 4@F=5 92AA6? 282:?]k^Am
kAmqFE E96? E96 :>286D E92E H6 2== 92G6 D66? ?@H 7=2D965 24C@DD >J E6=6G:D:@? D4C66?] r@H2C5D 42CCJ:?8 2DD2F=E\DEJ=6 H62A@?D E9C@F89 E96 r2A:E2=[ H62C:?8 “r2>A pFD49H:EK” %\D9:CED] ~E96CD :? 9@@5:6D E92E D2:5 “e|(t[” E96 H9:E6 DFAC6>24:DE 4@56 7@C “e >:==:@? H6C6?’E 6?@F89]” ~E96C 4@565 =2?8F286 H2D 6>3=2K@?65 @? A2E496D E96 :?G256CD H@C6[ 2== D:8?2=:?8 E96 D2>6 E9:?8i >FC56C@FD 92EC65 7@C A6@A=6 E96J ?6G6C 925 >6E[ D:>A=J 3642FD6 @7 H9@ E96J H6C6]k^Am
kAmp?5 x 925 E@ C6G:D6 >J E9:?<:?8] $FC6=J[ x E9@F89E[ DFC6=J :E :D 92AA6?:?8 282:?]k^Am
kAmx DE:== 4@F?E D6G6C2= y6HD 2>@?8 >J 7C:6?5D] ~?6[ 2 76==@H ?6HD>2? ?2>65 |2EE[ BF@E65 pFD49H:EK DFCG:G@C {:==J pAA6=32F> :? 9:D u2463@@< A@DE @? w@=@42FDE #6>6>3C2?46 s2J 2D D96 C642==65 H92E 2 8F2C5 2E 96C 42>A D2:5i “‘uC@> ?@H @? J@F 5@ ?@E 2?DH6C E@ J@FC ?2>6] *@FC ?2>6 :D J@FC ?F>36C’ p?5 E96 56=FD:@?[ E96 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E[ E96 5:D4@FC286>6?E E92E x 76=E[ =:<6 x H2D ?@E 2 9F>2? 2?J>@C6]”k^Am
kAm“%96 32EE=6 :D @?8@:?8[” |2EE HC@E6 27E6C 96C BF@E6]k^Am
kAmx H2D 9@CC:7:65 2D x H2E4965 E9@D6 H9:E6 DFAC6>24:DED 567246 E96 92==D @7 r@?8C6DD]k^Am
kAmx 42??@E 368:? E@ :>28:?6 H92E |2EE 76=E — @C H92E >J 8C2?572E96C H@F=5 92G6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm!6E6C y] (2DD@? :D >2?28:?8 65:E@C @7 E96 pD9=2?5 s2:=J !C6DD]k^Am
Post a comment as
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.