Reporters on the Job
• Knock, Knock: Being presumptuous is not staff writer Peter Ford's favorite part of being a reporter, but sometimes it helps.
"I was eager to talk to the first man in China to win a land auction, to illustrate the new land reform policy," Peter says (see story). "I knew his name and the village in the middle of China where he lived, but I could not find his phone number to call him and ask if I could visit. Would he be there? Would he say no?"
"I took a plane and then drove for three hours and finally knocked on his door at about 9 in the evening," says Peter. "Thankfully he was delighted to talk to me and even offered me supper, but I could not help feeling a little embarrassed at the way I had simply shown up from Beijing unannounced expecting an interview."
– David Clark Scott
World editor
This Week's Look Ahead
• Monday, Oct. 27:
Islamabad, Pakistan – Afghan and Pakistani tribal elders meet in a series of gatherings to counter Taliban militancy.
London – Winners of competition to design a new bus for the city are announced.
• Wednesday, Oct. 29:
Manila – Global Forum on Migration and Development, a UN conference on migrant workers attended by 129 countries.
San Salvador – Ibero-American Summit with leaders from 19 Latin American countries, Spain, Andorra, and Portugal.
• Thursday, Oct. 30:
Athens – 13th International Anti-Corruption Conference.
