Heat and Light: Advice for the Next Generation of Journalists

by Mike Wallace, Beth Knobel

In Heat & Light, a legendary journalist and a journalism professor join forces to offer a one-of-a-kind guide for our next generation of great journalists.  Drawing on the authors' decades of experience at the top of the field and inspired directly by beginners’ most frequently asked questions, Heat & Light offers invaluable advice on such topics as:
 
·        balancing drama and information (‘heat’ vs. ‘light’)
·        generating and evaluating story ideas
·        the secrets to crafting good ledes
·        creating strong packages for the internet, tv, and radio
·        the specific requirements of writing for print and broadcast
·        the art of the interview
 
Along the way, the authors share countless anecdotes from their own storied careers—and discuss larger questions such as the rapidly growing role of digital media and what it means for today’s aspiring journalists.
 
Includes an extensive "reporter’s toolbox" of checklists, techniques, and resources

Genres: Nonfiction, Journalism

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Myron Leon Wallace was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. Known for his investigative journalism, he interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspondents featured on CBS news program 60 Minutes, which debuted in 1968. Wallace retired as a regular full-time correspondent in 2006, but still appeared occasionally on the series until 2008. He is the father of Chris Wallace.
Wallace interviewed many politicians, celebrities, and academics, such as Tina Turner, Joseph Bonanno, Vladimir Horowitz, Bobby Fischer, Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Malcolm X, Richard Nixon, Pearl S. Buck, Deng Xiaoping, Ronald Reagan, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Jiang Zemin, Ruhollah Khomeini, Kurt Waldheim, Frank Lloyd Wright, Yasser Arafat, Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, Louis Farrakhan, Manuel Noriega, John Nash, Gordon B. Hinckley, Vladimir Putin, Barbra Streisand, Salvador Dalí, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, William Carlos Williams, Mickey Cohen, Roy Cohn, Dean Reed, Jimmy Fratianno, Morgan Freeman, Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell, and Ayn Rand.

Reviews

[Jay Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

放在现在这个时代和环境下，这本书有些过时了。不过看看大记者的逸事也挺好的。

[Blog on Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It comes as no secret to web readers that the news media is going through the greatest revolution since the days of William Randolph Hearst. Newspapers, like Hearst’s, are trimming back or going under entirely, while cable news and the internet have dismantled the 24 hour news cycle and put a strain on much of its credibility. Who better than seven decade reporter, Mike Wallace, to give us insight into where news journalism has been and where it is going?

“Heat & Light: Advice for the Next Generation of Journalists” written by Wallace and his former CBS News associate and Fordham professor Beth Knobel, serves both as an instruction manual for a new crop of aspiring journalists as well as shedding light on the myriad of processes involved in bringing a story to market. Journalistic methodologies – from finding stories, to fact-checking, to interview techniques – are presented from both the authors’ years of experience as well as the additional expertise of many of their friends and associates in the field. (60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley, veteran reporter Marvin Kalb and others lend a host of personal examples, to illustrate what makes their reporting unique.)

Historical examples from Vietnam era reporting to current day stories of the Obama White House and even Michael Jackson’s death are covered from the angles of style, newsworthiness, accuracy and more. Outlets like Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, msnbc and the blogosphere are explored for their reliance on ‘opinion journalism’ vs hard news as well as the format and economics of such ‘news’ operations. (Opinion being less costly and therefore more profitable than traditional hard news reporting.)

While the book is a great look into the dynamics of various news operations (from print to radio to television and the web), its primary function is as an essential text for young journalism students who need information on style, form and ethics, as well as learning the importance of journalism in society and how to best find and present a story worth telling. With the recent passing of giants like Cronkite, Don Hewitt and Daniel Schorr, Wallace stands as one of the last of the breed of Murrow style journalists – reporters who got to the real nitty-gritty of a story without regard to ratings (thank you Mr. Paley!) or offense. With the media’s continued drift towards ‘info-tainment’ that too often passes for news, his decision to impart his many decades of wisdom on the subject is a priceless gift for all.

[Kalie Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical when I first picked up Heat and Light. It was not a book I was obligated to read for class, nor was it a book I was told to read for a job; it was a book I wanted to read for my future journalist self. While I wanted to read it to learn about the ins-and-outs of journalism, I was still scared that maybe this book would be too technical, too full of lists, and ultimately boring. However, after reading the first page, I realized how wrong I was.

This is not one of those bullet-pointed-checklist books telling you how to be a journalist. It is not a book so full of information, rules, and guidelines that it makes you lose interest by the second chapter. And it is not a book which leaves your brain hurting and your eyes tired. No, Heat and Light is a book filled with engaging stories, useful tips, and rewarding advice on how to strive in today’s – and tomorrow’s – journalism industry.

Written by the prominent Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes, and award-winning journalist turned professor, Beth Knobel, these two experienced reporters show – not tell – what it takes to make it as a journalist in both present day, and future, journalism. Along with inspirational and motivational anecdotes from other noteworthy reporters, producers, editors, and anchors, the pages in this book are not only packed with knowledge and information, but also with entertainment, making it an easy read.

Heat and Light is more of a resource than a book. Touching every aspect of journalism from print to broadcast to internet reporting, and ending with a “Reporter’s Toolbox”, it is one of the most useful materials for hopeful – and seasoned – journalists and reporters. If you are interested in journalism, or just want some advice for the ever expanding profession, Heat and Light is a must read.

[Brandon Iben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good insight for anyone working in Broadcast/Print/Radio news. Towards the end, a lot of the material seemed to be common sense, but added historical facts with certain cases and situations.

[Ethar · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting
I liked the late chapters more than the opening chapters
It could be easier in it's language
I need it as a journalisim student though iam gonna readi again =D

[Kalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information with a little bit of humor. Really great interviewing advice (for both broadcast and print) journalists.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wallace was a brilliant journalists I revered when I was younger. One of us has gotten older and more simplistic.

[Prajwal D'Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bible for journalists. Period.