No. 009, 7.5 X 5.5 size. 157 pp, $11.95US. ISBN# 1-58965-034-4
Author: Hamil R. Harris

Career Diary of a Newspaper Reporter chronicles 30 days--the predictions, the challenges and the lessons learned--in the professional life of a news reporter at a major metropolitan newspaper. At a time when journalists are facing criticism for ignoring community news in favor of “the big story,” Washington Post reporter Hamil R. Harris has made it his mission to cover the community thoroughly and compassionately. His book details his dogged persistence in cultivating sources and winning their trust while still reporting on them with a critical eye. It also tracks the tasks of a journalist whose profession is changing rapidly because of convergence, in which technological advances and consumer habits require reporters to disseminate information through a variety of media.

About the Author
Reporter Hamil R. Harris has covered the community/general assignment beat for the Washington Post for over 17 years. He has also carved out an informal side beat covering religion and race relations. His portfolio includes stories on everything from political conventions and civil rights to local shootings and holiday pageants. After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in chemistry, Harris drove to Washington, D.C., in a beat-up Chrysler Cordoba loaded with two suitcases and an ice chest containing 16 ham and cheese sandwiches. Despite earning a master’s degree in health care from the University of Maryland, his love for news gathering finally led him into journalism. After freelancing for local print and broadcast outlets, Harris landed a full-time position at the Washington Post, one of the nation’s most distinguished newspapers.

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