PressEthic

In Philadelphia Weekly, Catherine Lucey wrote a tribute to Thomas J. Gibbons Jr., whom she describes:

Tommy-Thomas J. Gibbons Jr.-is something of a legend among cops and journalists in this town. A former highway patrol officer who was shot in the line of duty before becoming a police reporter, Gibbons is a pinstripe-wearing, tough-talking, old-fashioned pro who drinks Manhattans and calls everyone pal.

Lucey outlines Gibbons’s career in police work, reporting, and reporting on the police. She tells his story, and intersperses it with her awe for him.

With all the bad news about reporters and the media, this article was just what I needed – no scandal, no conspiracy, just one reporter honoring another for his skills and his friendship.

Forget Jayson Blair. This is the kind of legacy I hope to leave.