They Don't Make Journalists Like This Anymore

The Telegraph website has put together an excellent tribute to W. F. Deedes, who died last week at 94 after a career in journalism that began in 1931 and continued through a column on Darfur published August 3. Deedes, whom I wrote about previously in this blog, covered Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and was evidently the inspiration for the central character Boot in Evelyn Waugh's Scoop, in my opinion the best novel about journalism ever written. Deedes started off his career at a time when reporters abroad communicated to the home desk by cryptic telegrams, which Waugh brilliantly spoofs. The Telegraph ' s tribute, on its website, contains quick links to all sorts of interesting articles new and old.

KARL ROVE

My U.S. News column this week is an assessment of Karl Rove's work on politics and public policy.