American journalism, still a model

A comparison of the British and American flavors of journalism. American journalists regard themselves as members of a respectable profession -- like lawyers or bankers. Their British counterparts generally prefer the idea that they are outsiders. They like to quote the adage of the late Nicholas Tomalin that: "The only qualities essential for real success in journalism are rat-like cunning, a plausible manner and a little literary ability." This Brit concludes, "[T]those American journalists who insist on the civic importance of good journalism are correct. What we write does matter - even if it is sometimes easier to pretend that it doesn't."