Tom Wicker, one of the Times most distinguished journalists, passed away today after suffering from a heart attack. He was 85 years old.
In his time as a journalist he covered the White House, wrote 20 books, and even covered the assassination of JFK. He was able to report on the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and give his opinion on American involvement in Southeast Asia. He was even put on the president's enemies list over his opinion on the Watergate Scandal. Now, that's what you call having an interesting life.
Tom Wicker showed that although people think journalists simply report the news, there is so much more. He was able to give his opinion and encourage people to "engage in civil disobedience" in order to get their points across. Journalism isn't a monotonous career filled with endless stories about city council meetings, new laws, and the latest technology. While it is up to the journalist to embrace the other aspects, many New York Times journalists do.
An example of this is Nicholas Kristof. Lately i've been trying to figure out how my major, my interests, and journalism fit together. After reading several of Kristof's articles, I finally realized that it is important for me to be able to view issues from a journalist's point of view if I am going to be successful in law or politics. While they do have a stand, a view, they know when to report without a bias and they know to look at the whole truth. The information does not get manipulated to suit their opinion. They just know how to defend it when the time comes. Being involved in politics or law or even journalism...well, it doesn't have to be a bore. Maybe my life won't be so dull afterall.
And here's a video clip from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart....I would love to have that job.
Click Here for Video
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