"Journalists are beach combers of other people's intelligence."

Bill Moyers is my hero.

Seeing him live the other night reaffirmed my commitment to journalism. He described the ideal journalist as being someone who is disciplined, insatiable curious, and a good student--one that takes a test and quickly forgets the information, moving onto the next thing. He said "journalists get paid to write things they know nothing about" and that he thinks of himself as an "amateur--a lover of all things."

He contrasted journalism with poetry--something else I love. He described poetry as a medium that allows much more freedom and unabashed truth than journalism. Journalists are bound by caution, lest they become pundits.

The audience was riveted, you could hear the collective "hmphs" of thoughtful assent, the warmth of admiration palpable in the packed auditorium. He spoke with such clarity and honesty, with insight and profundity but without pretense. We really need more like him.