Heat and Light: Advice for the Next Generation of Journalists. Mike Wallace and Beth Knobel. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 2010. 276 pp.

When it comes to fame—and probably fortune as well—there are few twentieth-century journalists who have enjoyed greater success than Mike Wallace. His gripping 60 Minutes interviews with most of the major news figures of the age set a standard for television journalism that will likely never be surpassed. So when Wallace and his former CBS colleague Beth Knobel (now a faculty member at Fordham University) offer a how-to guide to doing journalism, notice must be paid.

The result, Heat and Light, is a journalism primer aimed at the next generation of high school journalists. The text provides a detailed account of what budding journalists can expect as they enter the world of journalism, from interviewing sources to applying news judgment, from journalistic ethics to the differing demands of broadcast and print. Not only does this book present tips for building a successful foundation for one’s journalistic career, but it also details where journalism might be headed in the future. [Read more...]