Tintin journalism

In my bleary state of consciousness on Saturday morning I turned on Radio 4 in the hope that it might coax me out of bed, and was strangely intrigued by what I heard - 'Tintin School of Journalism' was being heralded as the inspiration for numerous credible journalists...surely I must still be asleep!?

I perked up immediately in a quest to discover whether the world had really gone loopy overnight.

Can a cartoon really inspire a well educated journalist? Was this simply a group of nostalgic men reminiscing over childhood memories? Should a School of Journalism really be headed by a young boy with a strange quiff and a white fluffy dog? – Surely not!

But as the programme progressed I realised that the presenter, Mark Lawson, was making some very valid and intriguing observations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/listenagain.shtml#t
- and look for Tintin's Guide to Journalism

Everyone needs role models or something to aspire to, and having listened to this programme I am sure that ‘wannabe’ journalists could do a lot worse than look up to Tintin.

Mark Lawson himself said that the young boy with his canine pal had had a "profound influence" upon his life, and Charles Moore described his reading of the books as a life changing experience. Nick Dansegar, a photo journalist, believes the captivating stories encouraged him to discover another world beyond Europe.

Tintin, although not flawless, portrayed some of the most desirable characteristics for any potential journalist, and if he were in our class this year he would never fail to satisfy Allan Gill’s calls of “What’s the Story?”

As a boy reporter he was honest, accurate, curious, determined to find the truth, and daring. He flatters our idea of what it is to be a journalist because he is perpetually on the side of the good, exposing evil wherever he may find it.

Take the recent unrest in Burma; Tintin would have been the first reporter there, uncovering the truth and supporting the Burmese people and democracy. As Roy Greenslade would put it - he espouses 'Ought Journalism'.

Yet his portrayal of journalism, if looked at closely, is highly glamorised. As a strict T-totaler, Tintin does not exactly represent the stereotypical journalist, and despite the harrowing situations that he ends up in, he never shows the more vulnerable side of foreign reporters.

More importantly, within his timeless world of journalism, Tintin never files any copy, and is only ever known to finish one story, which he soon has stolen by the Russian secret service. I somehow think he wouldn't survive very well in today's media market - what with the web, podcasts and vodcasts – editors would soon boot him out of the door.

However, if we are to make him the head of a School of Journalism, I think Tintin could teach us a trick or two which would make us more desirable for those news editors out there.

Mark Lawson summed up the programme by stating that, "a good reporter always remains a boy reporter at heart. What Tintin lacked in shorthand and professionalism, he made up for in determination and enthusiasm. He gets to the bottom of things which is the hallmark of a good journalist".

Yes filing copy on time is of course important, but to file a story you first need to find a story. Anyone can regurgitate a press release or call around to follow up a lead given to them by their editor, but the great stories will be those that we can uncover ourselves and investigate thoroughly and honestly.

I hereby announce my campaign to have Tintin made the official mascot for the City Journalism Department!