1. You’ve got to be a little crazy 2. Stay curious 3. Get it right 4. Admit your mistakes – and learn from them 5. Ask good questions 6. Listen carefully, and pay attention 7. Be skeptical 8. Get close to your story 9. Know your place 10. Prepare for the unexpected 11. Shine a light 12. Be a watchdog 13. Do the right thing 14. Remember your humanity 15. Stand your ground 16. Commit journalism
Rich Martin was a newspaper journalist for 32 years, including 29 years at The Roanoke Times in Virginia. The newspaper was a three-time Pulitzer finalist for projects he edited. He is an associate professor emeritus in the Department of Journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he taught for 12 years and served as Director of Journalism Graduate Studies and Journalism Department Head. Living Journalism: Principles & Practices for an Essential Profession (1st edition) was published in 2011. He and his wife now live in Fredericksburg, Virginia.