The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on journalistic conventions, which quoted UC San Diego professor Michael Schudson, a leading sociologist of journalism. The story centred on one Greg Packer, a highway-maintenance worker from Huntington, Long Island, who is always available for a vox pop soundbite. Interestingly, by leading with a personal anecdote to illustrate a more general point, the WSJ provided an excellent illustration of another stylistic convention of the journalistic genre.