Washington Post ombud Deborah Howell asks and answers the question, “What makes a good reporter? “

Endless curiosity and a deep need to know what is happening. Then, the ability to hear a small clue and follow it….[Someone] savvy enough to find sources they can trust…The ability to sort out conflicting information is one of the hallmarks of good reporting…A reporter’s first commitment is getting the story for readers; it trumps almost everything. That’s the reason they sometimes miss their wedding anniversaries or their children’s birthday parties and keep on reporting until they are wheeled into surgery …or delivery rooms.