Words of the great Edward R. Murrow

How should journalists treat their audiences?

"You are supposed to describe things in terms that make sense to a truck driver without insulting the intelligence of a professor." -- Edward R. Murrow.


These were the words of the late Murrow, perhaps the greatest broadcast journalist in U.S. history. Thanks to former CBS News Correspondent Marvin Kalb, a National Press Club member, for sharing this wisdom that came from the man who hired him years ago.

Journalists today would do well to follow Murrow's advice. That's true whether they're serving print, online, broadcast or cable consumers of news.

Here's archived video from "The Kalb Report" on "Why Murrow Matters."
Why Murrow Matters In The Digital Age

Wondering aloud about the TSA's apparent information disconnect

I travel on commercial aircraft a fair amount, for both business and leisure. Not a jet-setter by any stretch. But because I cover the federal government in Washington, I've been cleared by a variety of federal departments to go past the virtual velvet rope after going through their disparate and jarringly dissimilar credentialing processes. It occurred to me recently that in this increasingly perplexing era of big data we live in, shouldn't all of those federal databases be very obviously connected?  Similarly, shouldn't the TSA have immediate access to the same information that allows me to go inside the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Treasury, etc. More to the point, why doesn't it know that I'm good to go for places deemed off-limits to the general public?

Where things got a bit strange

The point was further hammered home recently when going through an airport with a family member.  The TSA agent said the other person had been randomly selected and cleared to participate in the expedited security clearance process. Good for my family member, right? They can go through immediately. Meantime, I needed to go separately through the usual part where the belt and shoes come off, you know the drill. And for goodness sake, don't go into the body image scanner with anything in your pocket. 

Who's to blame? Not the folks on the front line

Let's make a couple of points clear. I have immense respect for the people on the front lines of the TSA screening process. I appreciate the work they do. They get plenty of grief for doing their jobs through no fault of their own. This is an issue with folks at a much higher level. Secondly, I'm not suggesting that I should get special treatment. I'm just wondering aloud about what seems to be a disconnect among all of these databases. I looked online and signed up to be interviewed to join the expedited screening program. A kind officer at the airport suggested it after seeing we were being split up in line.

Thank goodness we've been protected so well over these many years amid the massive security apparatus put in place over the past decade or so.  It is possible that all of the information that's been collected has become virtually impossible to manage?

My 10 Tips For Using Twitter

Like most folks, I began using a couple of social media platforms just thinking I’d try them out.  Little did I know then that they would become seemingly indispensable tools not only for personal utilization but also for professional use.  For me, one of the turning point moments came when I learned over Twitter that Osama Bin Laden was dead, not on television or radio.  If you are just getting into the Twitter game, or have been at it for a while, here are some of the things I think about when using this amazing platform.

5 things I look at when deciding to follow someone on Twitter:

1. The person or enterprise appears to have something interesting or useful to say on an ongoing basis. It helps to be at least slightly clever or creative. That can include work with photos or videos or curation of information on any number of subjects.
2. The account holder generally uses acceptable language. Too much cursing is gross whether in private conversation or in public channels.
3. If the person/enterprise is following me, I’m interested to see if they are Tweeting in an effective way.  If they’re just lurking, I won’t follow.
4. The user appears to be real and safe. With the risk that there’s something fraudulent or even technologically risky about the account, I’ll stay very far away.
5.  Is this someone I could help, such as an aspiring professional or artist, by following?  No harm in giving it a shot.

        5 things that help me decide not to follow someone on Twitter:

1.       There’s a long lag between Tweets, or no sign of real presence on the platform.   There’s no set frequency that’s needed, but the user needs to be engaged.

2.       There’s no profile photo or description of the account. Come on, how hard is it to upload a photo or image? Please don’t call yourself a tech evangelist.

3.       An abundance of insults, of other users or random targets, suggests following won’t be a positive experience.

4.       An extension of the last issue: tolerance.  Is the account user intolerant of others with different opinions, including in the political realm?  There’s enough intolerance and hate in the world, thank you.

5.       Careless writing, grammar or spelling are strong clues that following could be a bad idea.  A bit of care, including a last-second look for an edit, before hitting “Tweet” can make the different between adding followers, landing some Retweets and Favorites or just getting lost in the Twitterverse.

Follow me on Twitter: @Hamrickisms