Best journalist in December: Derek Kravitz

I have been complaining about journalists quite often, sometimes here (see list on the right) many times while talking to a screen. It is not their fault: their training is atrocious, the money is short, the pressure is inflating their egos and they usually already think that they would do better than Congress (this I think too, but I do not show it on TV). Editors have no idea how exasperating trivia can be when you read them 20 times in a few days. I cant wait to see the end of the holidays and to escape papers on:
- the shoes of President Bush
- the absence of shirt of the president-elect
- icecream cones in Hawaii
- the illegitimate children in the Palin family


I am reading daily the New York Times (I finally forgave them for frauds that I thought were structural), the Washington Post because they are still honest and they have bright people, the Huffington Post because they come elegantly online, and the Los Angeles Times because they are always good on Latin America and the Middle East.

I have been pleased to read Derek Kravitz in the Washington Post recently. Here comes a young journalist that does not annoy me with the daily trivia. He picks up subjects where he has to dig information instead of choosing moody stuff where there is style and no content. The guy works: he has a future!

Derek Kravitz attracted my attention a few month back with a paper on Indian Affairs; I wish more had been done on the subject. There is a lot to tell. But I guess one gets to prove oneself nowadays by jumping through the hoops instead of chewing on a good thing. And today, I read with pleasure a paper entitled Homelessness Official Wins Praise With Focus on Permanent Housing HA! A journalist praises somebody in the Bush administration, it has been a long time! I wish we could find some more, because of course there are more: as a democrat, I keep thinking that a view of government without nuances is not good for democracy. This is the story of a civil servant who keeps trying: give me more. The subject of homelessness, once again, is worth more papers.

And if I could suggest to Mr Kravitz one more topic: there are one million children neglected or abused every year in this civilized country. A bunch of papers would be welcome on that topic too. Is this drug related? Ignorance related? Can we solve it with more daycare? Should we have more education for future parents? Dig this enough, you might change the worrld.