Ever since I read “Paper Lion,” by George Plimpton, I’ve been a hands-on type of journalist.
Plimpton was known for participatory journalism. He liked to get his hands dirty.
kAmw:D 36DE <?@H? 3@@<[ “!2A6C {:@?[” :D 2== 23@FE 36:?8 2 324<FA BF2CE6C324< 7@C E96 s6EC@:E {:@?D] w6’D 2=D@ 366? 2 9@4<6J 8@2=:6 7@C E96 q@DE@? qCF:?D[ 2 A:E496C :? E96 |{q 2?5 2 3@I6C 282:?DE $F82C #2J #@3:?D@?] (96? 96 H2D?’E A=2J:?8 DA@CED[ 96 H2D 24E:?8 @C A=2J:?8 H:E9 E96 }6H *@C< !9:=92C>@?:4 ~C496DEC2] w6 H2D 2=H2JD 86EE:?8 :?E@ E96 E9:4< @7 E9:?8D 2?5 C62==J 6IA6C:6?4:?8 H92E 9:D D@FC46D H6C6 E6==:?8 9:>]k^Am
kAmx 25>:C6 !=:>AE@?] }@E @?=J 3642FD6 96 ;FDE D@ 92AA6?65 E@ BF2CE6C324< 7@C >J 72G@C:E6 E62>[ 3FE 2=D@ 3642FD6 96’D ?6G6C 27C2:5 @7 ECJ:?8 D@>6E9:?8]k^Am
kAmp =@E @7 E:>6D[ 36:?8 2 ;@FC?2=:DE :D 23@FE 4@?BF6C:?8 J@FC 762CD] *@F’C6 2D<65 E@ 8@ E@ 2 4C:>6 D46?6[ @C E2=< E@ D@>6@?6 J@F’G6 ?6G6C >6E[ @C 6?E6C 2 C@@> @7 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E E92? J@F] xE’D 23@FE 36:?8 3@=5 2?5 ?@E 9@=5:?8 324<[ :? E96 9@A6D @7 7@C>:?8 E96 36DE C6=2E:@?D9:AD[ 86EE:?8 E96 36DE D@FC46D 2?5 E6==:?8 E96 >@DE :?E6C6DE:?8 DE@C:6D]k^Am
kAm!=:>AE@? ?6G6C 324<65 5@H?]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 J62CD[ x’G6 EC:65 E@ >:>:4 9:> :? 2 =@E @7 H2JD] (96? x =:G65 :? !6??DJ=G2?:2[ >J DA@CED 65:E@C H2?E65 >6 E@ 5@ 2 DE@CJ 23@FE 2 ?6H 8@=7 4@FCD6 2E E96 =@42= 4=F3 42==65 “{62C? E@ v@=7 :? u:G6 w@FCD]” k^Am
kAm$FC6[ :E 4@F=5 92G6 366? 2 CF?\@7\E96\>:== DE@CJ[ AC6G:6H:?8 E96 4@FCD6] x 4@F=5’G6 E2=<65 H:E9 E96 :?DECF4E@C 23@FE H92E =6DD@?D H@F=5 36 =62C?65 2?5 7@==@H65 FA H:E9 2 A2CE:4:A2?E E@ D66 9@H :E H6?E 27E6CH2C5] xE >2J 92G6 366? 2 72:C=J 5646?E DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ x 5:5?’E H2?E 2 5646?E DE@CJ] x 5:5?’E H2?E CF? @7 E96 >:==]k^Am
kAmx?DE625[ x 2D<65 >J 3@DD :7 x 4@F=5 E2<6 E96 4=2DD — :E H2D @?6 9@FC A6C H66< 7@C 7:G6 9@FCD — 2?5 HC:E6 23@FE :E 7C@> E92E A@:?E @7 G:6H] x <?6H ?@E9:?8 23@FE 8@=7 @C 9@H E@ A=2J :E[ 2?5 x 2> ?@E 6I24E=J 2E9=6E:42==J :?4=:?65] qFE x H2?E65 E@ 8:G6 :E 2 D9@E[ 2?5 x E9@F89E[ “%9:D >:89E 36 E96 36DE H2J E@ D66 :7 E9:D H@C<D — 24EF2==J E6249 >6 9@H E@ A=2J :? 7:G6 9@FCD]”k^Am
kAmx 2=D@ E9@F89E[ “v@@5 =F4<]”k^Am
kAm(6 =62C?65 23@FE AFEE:?8[ E96 8C66?D[ 49:A D9@ED[ E66D 2?5 >@C6[ 2?5 x 5:5 24EF2==J =62C? 9@H E@ 7F?4E:@? 2E =62DE @? 2 8@=7 4@FCD6 — :E 5:5?’E D2J :E H@F=5 E6249 >6 9@H E@ A=2J 8@=7 H6==[ 27E6C 2==]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 DE@C:6D H6C6 8@=5] x >256 D@ >2?J >:DE2<6D[ 2?5 C642==:?8 E9@D6 7@C @FC C6256CD H2D >F49 >@C6 6?E6CE2:?:?8 7@C E96> E92? 2? :?7@C>2E:@?2= DE@CJ H@F=5 92G6 366?] xE 2=D@ D6CG65 E@ 2?DH6C E96 32D:4 BF6DE:@?D @7 H96C6 E96 4=2DD H2D 36:?8 96=5 2?5 H92E =6DD@?D H@F=5 36 =62C?65]k^Am
kAmuC@> E96C6[ H6 8@E >@C6 2?5 >@C6 :?E@ A2CE:4:A2E@CJ ;@FC?2=:D>] x’G6 H@C<65 2E 4@>>F?:EJ ?6HDA2A6CD >J H9@=6 42C66C[ 2?5 :E’D 2=H2JD 366? 5C:==65 :?E@ 9@H :>A@CE2?E E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 J@FC 4@>>F?:EJ :D] |66E:?8 A6@A=6 @? E96:C =6G6=D D66>65 E@ 3F:=5 E92E] |J 4@H@C<6C 2?5 x A=2J65 2 EH@\@?\EH@ 32D<6E32== 82>6 H:E9 @FC A=2J6CD @7 E96 J62C @?6 D62D@?[ 2?5 H6 925 2 5@?FE\62E:?8 4@?E6DE H:E9 E96 HC6DE=:?8 2==\DE2CD]k^Am
kAmx’> @? 2 >:DD:@? E@ 3C:?8 E9:D EJA6 @7 ;@FC?2=:D> E@ %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD] x H2?E @FC DE277 E@ <?@H J@F[ 2?5 x H2?E J@F E@ <?@H 6249 @7 E96> — 2?5 E9:D DE2CED H:E9 2==:82E@C 9F?E:?8]k^Am
kAm(96? x 7:CDE 42>6 E@ p=6I r:EJ[ |:E49 $?665 <?6H E9:D 23@FE >6 2?5 6?4@FC2865 >6 E@ 7:?5 D@>6@?6 H9@ H@F=5 E2<6 >6 @? 2 82E@C 9F?E] w6 DF886DE65 y@9? |4z6=G6J[ D@ :7 J@F’C6 C625:?8 E9:D[ 9@==6C 2E >6]k^Am
kAmqFE x 2> D@ C625J E@ =62C? H92E E9:D 6IA6C:6?46 :D 2== 23@FE] x C646?E=J EC2G6=65 E9C@F89 {@F:D:2?2 2?5 2> DE:== 4C2G:?8 E9@D6 82E@C 3:E6D] !=FD[ x 92G6?’E 5@?6 2?J EJA6 @7 9F?E:?8 D:?46 x’G6 366? :? p=232>2 2?5 x’> 6I4:E65 E@ E6== E96 DE@CJ @7 9@H J@F D?2E49 2 82E@C]k^Am
kAmr964< @FE :?7@C>2E:@? @? 9@H E@ 86E 2 E28 @? !286 q`[ =6E >6 <?@H :7 J@F H:? E96 =@EE6CJ 2?5 =6E’D >2<6 :E 92AA6?]k^Am
kAm{:K: pC3@82DE vH:? :D E96 >2?28:?8 65:E@C @7 %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD x?4] k^Am