David Clark Scott |
Here is what some of David Clark Scott's colleagues said in support of his nomination for The Mimi Award:
“It is a rare editor who can take writers through a major edit and leave them feeling not only unscathed, but better about the story they filed. David Scott is such an editor. As international news editor during the 9/11 attacks and through the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath, Dave has shaped coverage and edited copy under tough deadlines and from correspondents in dangerous and often highly emotional situations. He has earned the respect and affection of his staff by insisting on high professional standards under all circumstances while conveying a deep interest in the personal well-being of those with whom he works. The result is a team of editors and correspondents that are remarkably tight and motivated.”
— Amelia Newcomb
Deputy Section Editor, International News
The Christian Science Monitor
“Dave is the editor every Monitor reporter wants on the other end of the phone. He has a great gift for being utterly honest in his assessment of a reporter's stories or overall performance—yet ever supportive and encouraging. While working on my swan-song series, 'Africa after war: Paths to Forgiveness,' Dave never imposed his vision of what the story should be. Rather he challenged me to sharpen and craft the stories in a way that deepened the exploration of the individual people and the overall themes.”
— Abe McLaughlin
Former Africa Bureau Chief
The Christian Science Monitor
“If you sound tired on the phone, he notes it. If you’ve been away from your family too long, he insisted you get back home. I was the one who felt deep gratitude to him for giving me the chance to write but he, remarkably, would say 'Thank you‚' after I filed a story and meant it.
“Writing for a great editor is the most rewarding part of being a reporter. What good is risking life and limb if all the desk back home wants are shallow, short stories? The work I did for the international desk felt vital, essential, useful. Any risk that might have arisen in Iraq was absolutely worth it when the outcome was stories that really made a difference and truly helped better inform the public.
“Almost a year after that first phone conversation with Dave, armed men killed my friend and translator Alan Enwiya. They kidnapped me as well. The all out campaign they waged on my behalf was incredibly draining and stressful on everyone. Dave all but halted his work and focused entirely on the efforts to help me, a freelancer he had never even met. Now Dave is managing the fallout from that stress on the staff with his trademark compassion.
“I knew I could count on that compassion when things went wrong last January.
“Sitting in a darkened room in the home of one of the kidnappers a few hours after it happened, I remember one thought very distinctly. 'Thank God I work for the Monitor. They won't leave me.'”
— Jill Carroll
Reporter
The Christian Science Monitor
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