Have more fun

I like this video:

Before she flew to Russia ahead of Barack Obama's trip there this week, someone gave Margaret Warner an HD Flip Cam to shoot a few video diaries for the web. They came out a little bouncy, not quite the quality we'd get from more serious video equipment and the sound, while way better than I would have expected, could still be a bit clearer.

But the big thing I see in this video, and what I really like about it, is a reporter having fun.

There's this unscripted feel about the whole thing (I don't know how much was rehearsed), like a blog post. There's also a sense of how much time this reporter has put in covering Russia, and how much she knows about the subject. Then there's that diversion about ice cream, which a couple of my colleagues thought was weird. Personally, I think it's one of the best parts. Maybe I empathize after so much time spend hunting down Magnum bars in Dalian.

Reporters tend to be fun people. Hurried, sarcastic, sometimes cutting people, but fun, especially off deadline. But how often does that come through in what we produce? It's tough to find much life in inverted pyramids.

When journalists (myself included) talk about their craft, we tend to take the high tones of a mother dishing out broccoli. This is good for you, we say, and maybe we're right on that (especially on weeks when Michael Jackson hasn't died).

Sometimes, though, we could all use a bit more ice cream.

Before: Do something. | After: Squished grapes and sunken starfighters