David Shaw, the great writer at the LA Times, died last night at the age of 62. He had been fighting a brain tumor. David was a Pulitzer Prize winner that set the standard for younger journalists.
John Carroll, editor of the times stated -
"David believed in journalistic independence, and he definitely practiced it, as a critic, he was fearless in exposing the shortcomings of his own newspaper, his colleagues and his profession. His findings weren't always popular, but they earned him a national reputation for insight and integrity."
David's obiturary is
here.
"We are in the age of transparency in journalism," said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism and a former colleague of Shaw's at The Times. "David was the first guy outside washing the windows."
David was a journalist that we all could respect, because he was what we wanted our journalist to be. He made people answer the questions. He was not a lap dog, not an attack dog. He was a watch dog - something the press should always be.
Jim Naughton, former president of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies stated -
"If the White House criticized your work, you looked for the political motive. If David Shaw criticized your work, you looked for ways to improve your work."
Goodbye David - you will be missed.