Open Letter to an Editor

I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently — one who works for you. In fact, he’s one of your best reporters. He wants to leave.

Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume (简历) and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues, approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I’m sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment (分工), and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you’ve given

him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom.

So why is he looking for a way out?

He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be

pushed, challenged, coached to new heights.

The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how

long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is.

He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he’s doing and to help him turn his story idea upside down and inside out, exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That’s what you want for him, too, isn’t it?

So your reporter has set me thinking.

Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists — everyone — is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can’t do it,

they’ll find someone who can.

What does the writer think of the reporter?

A. Optimistic.           B. Imaginative.          C. Ambitious.            D. Proud.

What does the reporter want most from his editors in their talks?

A. Finding the news value of his stories.   B. Giving him financial support.

C. Helping him to find issues.           D. Improving his good ideas.

Which of the following is nearest to the meaning of “turn his story idea upside down and inside

out” in the passage?

A. Study his story idea in details.                B. Get some general idea of his story.

C. Turn his writing over and over.          D. Find some reasons to kill his story.

The letter aims to remind editors that they should ______.

A. keep their best reporters at all costs         C. be aware of their reporters’ professional development

B. give more freedom to their reporters           D. appreciate their reporters’ working styles and attitudes