About this ebook
He thought about the newsroom conversations hed had about the possibility of reporting on some interesting social phenomena. The group always ended with a shrug and a lament that there was no way to measure itbut he began to wonder.
It was an epiphany for Meyer, who went on to report on the 1967 racial riots in Detroit and write the groundbreaking book Precision Journalism. While others were arguing that reporters should not use scientific methods to make conclusions of their own, Meyer was using computers and statistical software to elevate the standards of traditional journalism.
At age fifty, he switched gears and entered the world of academe, where he continues to stir the pot. In Paper Route, he recalls two interconnected careers and examines how journalism, quantitative methods, and original thinking led him to live the remarkable life that hes still enjoying.
About the author
Philip Meyer is a former newspaperman who became a distinguished professor. His 1973 book, Precision Journalism, was the outcome of his work with the Pulitzer Prize–winning Detroit Free Press staff on the 1967 Detroit riots. It is still a guide for journalists who report on disruptive social movements. He currently lives in North Carolina.
