May 11, 2004

By Alexandra Marks
The Christian Science Monitor
Published on 5/12/2004


Excerpt:



“The best role of a journalist is to expose the worst about ourselves as a country and as a people,” says Al Tompkins, a former editor and now journalism teacher at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. “It’s a holding up of a mirror. And the only thing worse than the photos themselves would be if they never came to public light.”


Truth-telling, however painful, Mr. Tompkins says, is “the best first step … toward a cure for abusive behavior” and the primary role of all journalists.


More of this article…
Search Google News for more quotes by Al Tompkins…

Support high-integrity, independent journalism that serves democracy. Make a gift to Poynter today. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.
Donate
I serve as an Editorial Product Manager at NPR, where I work with member stations to develop niche websites. Before coming to NPR, I worked…
Matt Thompson

More News

Back to News