Carr in the Page One documentary. Picture is from the New York Times.
The recent loss of David Carr has gotten me thinking about what it takes to make a legacy in journalism (or anywhere for that matter). Journalists have been the news lately, as I mentioned last week, both positively and negatively. I've been reading a lot about Carr and I think I have picked up on some interesting tips on how to leave a legacy as a writer/journalist/media person.
Be Fierce. The first time I was introduced to David Carr was through the Page One documentary about the New York Times. I was watching the documentary on Netflix in the middle of the night during a break from college. I'm pretty sure this was during my stint as Editor-in-chief of my tiny college newspaper and I remember thinking I could never be him. He had, as many have described since his death, a hard newsman persona exactly like you'd picture in a black and white movie about getting the hard hitting story. He told sources off and swore like a sailor in his raspy voice. To make it as a writer of any kind, you have to get a little rough- roll up those sleeves and get in the mess of it all. Perhaps it was because Carr had been in the mess personally, that he does it so adeptly. But if you read anything about Carr, you get the sense of his fierceness. So take a note out of Carr's book and experiment with fierceness. Defend what deserves defending. Be bold.
Be Kind. Carr was a professor to many students and a mentor to even more young journalists. For all his hardened exterior and sharp edged back story, he was known as a generous encourager of his coworkers and young journalists on the rise. According to his students he gave much of himself to them, spending time giving personal advice and criticism and really encouraging them to find a voice and use it. He described himself in a syllabus by saying "Your professor is fair, fundamentally friendly, a little odd, but not very mysterious. If you want to know where you stand, just ask." I think most human beings could benefit from this sort of kindness to ourselves and others. Especially in a world where we are often expected to be cutthroat to succeed, we can take a lesson from Carr on the value of caring and nurturing people.
Be Innovative. Carr was also known for embracing technology and all that it could mean for journalism. He was an amazing, strong writer, but he didn't use that as an excuse to avoid the other aspects of producing journalism in the modern age. He was an early adopter of Twitter and live blogging. One of his last projects was analyzing pop culture, media and technology in his series The Sweet Spot. Keeping up with the times is an important part of journalism, obviously. What's even cooler is that Carr viewed the relationship between journalism and technology as a fundamentally positive thing. It's usual to hear veteran reporters looking at technology as the thing that is killing their beloved medium, but Carr didn't fall into that trap. He viewed technology as a way to improve the medium; growth with the times is a positive, rather than negative thing for journalism.
This man clearly left a powerful legacy. He also left an amazing body of work that I need to start reading. What do you think makes up a journalist's legacy?