References to "The Wire" aside, take a look at this CJR interview with Linda Perlstein, the new "Public Editor" for the Education Writers Association, which entails a fair amount of responsibility. As public editor, Perlstein will coach individual reporters, offering guidance on sourcing and content knowledge, and coordinating with their editors to assure that her work complements what they are doing. It seems like an interesting model that could really improve education beat reporting, a topic that takes some chops to do well. Time will tell how she's utilized, but I think we should encourage any new innovations that might refine daily news coverage.
Adam Doster, a contributing editor at In These Times, is a Chicago-based freelance writer and former reporter-blogger for Progress Illinois.
