Too much Intellectual Capability?

I was reading a book titled Foreign News: Ulf Hannerz. This book is one of the guideposts around which i will have to built my International Journalism around. There will be several, but along with books, i feel practical experience will be equally important. Being Street smart, or even grasping the knowledge of the common man on the street will be important. There is one statement in that book which will act as a reminder that Intellectul Capability will not be everything in Journalism.

He mentions that Many of the Foreign Journalists today are not a Major in Journalism or its related fields. All the noted Economic journalists, and other beat journalists have done their specializations in fields like Engineering. There was a paerson who was intellectually very good, but he did not work out for Journalism. Too many hassles were involved. There is a lesson in there for me. The message of being too intellectual and more to the book is what might get me into trouble in the coming few years.

The message for me is that i have to be very practical minded, and that i shoudl have common sense. Common sense would be to have a bit of street smartedness, get to know the events from the eyes of the people. I have to ask the right questions, and have to train regularly at that. I have to be out on the field most of the time, not in the office and make my judgements.

There should be determination from my side, and balance it out with acurate and sensible judgement. If common sense and fieldwork are followed quiet judiciously, along with sensible judgement, then we can become a good journalist.