Dear Readers:
Dr. Ink loves his readers — madly. Which is why it pains him to ask these impertinent questions: Aren’t you spending a little too much time online these days? If you are a journalist, shouldn’t you be out of your office looking for a story?
What inspires such pointed interrogation? A number of journalists have confessed to the Doc that they are “addicted” to the Poynter website. Recent surveys of journalists have revealed that Poynter Online is now the number one source of information about the news business for professional journalists. That is a great achievement for leaders of the site, and a great honor coming from such an important audience.
But what does “addicted” mean? Some journalists testify that they check the site “several times a day.” Some express a cult-like attachment to the great Jim Romenesko. This worries Dr. Ink, even as he expresses his gratitude to his own faithful readers.
If Doc were the king of a news organization, he might issue the following memo:
We all know that the Internet is a revolutionary new tool for learning. It allows us to move easily from porn to the Vatican Library. We must continue to develop ways in which we can use new media to find out important stuff and to connect with new readers.
But there is also a danger of becoming addicted. So you are henceforth prohibited from spending more than 30 minutes per day checking out websites that are unrelated to specific stories. (This includes Poynter Online, a terrific site, but one you should only access once a day.)
Compulsive surfing creates opportunity costs. When you hear the siren song of this seductive medium, consider these alternatives:
1) Get out of the office and look for a story.
2) Get out of the office and look for a story.
If these steps fail, then please:
3) Get out of the office and look for a story.
