Jason Hiner has it right. Instead of grumbling about the disruption of journalism — those tectonic shifts in information delivery, the jarring changes to traditional publishing — Hiner celebrates and embraces the change. After all, a journalist must be first and foremost a witness. And Hiner is smart enough to know he’s witnessing a revolution — from right up close, too. (“I’m a journalist thrilled to be alive,” reads his intro.)
Hiner wears a number of hats (both figuratively and literally, to judge by photos). He’s the global editor-in-chief at TechRepublic, where he reports on digital derring-do and its world-changing effects. And he’s also an editor at ZDNet, focusing on longform journalism — taking the deep breaths and horizon views that sometimes seem impossible in our lightspeed culture. Another excellent thing about Hiner’s journalism is that his truths remain uninfluenced by that pragmatic streak we’re all prey to no matter how sturdy our ideals. Hiner keeps his independent mind free by having no investments in the companies he covers. (That, ladies and gentlemen, isn’t always the case in today’s reportage.) By the way, with co-author Lyndsey Gilpin, Hiner also has a book out (kind of): it’s called Follow The Geeks. Write what you know, they say. Check it out.
