I had originally wanted to do criminology and criminal justice research that would be used to prevent suffering due to crime. I came to believe I could do more good as a journalist, bringing the research of others to the world with my reporting.
Journalism, as embodied in The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, appealed to the young idealist I was and captured my imagination: journalism’s first obligation being the truth, its first loyalty being citizens, its being a discipline of verification… All of it.
What I wanted was to do good journalism that would facilitate change and development in criminal justice policy. I figured that those markers I mentioned above — the awards, the publishing credentials, the teaching gigs, the experience — would indicate I’d succeeded.