NYC Journalism

Well, in the aftermath of the Post’s exclusive coverage of Kerry’s VP choice yesterday (see the Daily News’ chortling about the gaffe; the Times also reported that News reporters sent a bottle of Australian wine to the Post along with the note, “Congratulations on your exclusive: Have a nice day.”) my first newspaper boss, and the guy who taught me that the bulk of investigative journalism (at least in the pre-web days) was rolls of quarters, copy machines, and dusty file cabinets, had a great column with some suggestions for the new CUNY graduate school of Journalism. The deal? Free tuition and free housing,

but only if they promise to stay in town for the next five years and irritate those in power. In the process, they will overcome the stereotype that A.J. Liebling once wrote about the media: “You can buy most reporters in New York with a beer and a cheap steak.”