The Hackathlon

Fred Barnes, the Washington commentator, is (we think) the original source of a profound insight on the nature of journalism--indeed, on human nature. "The most important quality any piece of writing can have," he says, "is doneness." (A related remark is attributed to Gloria Steinem: "I don't like writing. I like having written.")

It is in this spirit that Slate this week kicks off its first annual "Hackathlon." The Hackathlon will be officiated by Deputy Editor Jack Shafer, who apparently feels there isn't enough bad writing in Slate. Four self-proclaimed hacks (insert earnest demurral here: Oh, no, they're actually extremely talented, etc., etc., etc.) will compete in trying to produce a piece in a hurry. Readers will vote on whose work comes closest to resembling a respectable work of journalism. Since true hackability is fearless and fungible, the contestants will be tested in a variety of journalistic genres.

This year's hackathletes are: Malcolm Gladwell of The New Yorker, Michael Specter of the New York Times, Hanna Rosin of the New Republic, and Geoffrey Wheatcroft of British publications too numerous to mention. The Hackathlon is a world-class event: Gladwell will be filing from New York City; Specter from Moscow; Rosin from Washington, D.C.; and Wheatcroft from Bath, England. Shafer will officiate from Redmond, Wash. Here are Shafer's instructions to the players:

"Each Saturday, I will e-mail each hack a Hackathlon topic, a cheat sheet (notes, quotes, and facts), and the name of a specific publication whose style each hack is expected to ape. The hacks will have two hours to complete the assignment and e-mail me at Hack Central. If any hack takes longer than two hours to complete his/her assignment, we will report this transgression on the page with his/her copy.

"The four events: a New York Times Op-Ed (maximum length, 750 words); a New Yorker "Talk of the Town" (maximum length, 750 words); the First 1,000 Words of a Vanity Fair profile; a Breaking News Story.

"Don't write parody. As one accomplished hack put it, the essence of hackery is 'adjusting to a minimum of information to produce the maximum journalistic effect.' Actually, he went on a little longer to fill the available space. I've taken the liberty of truncating his remarks.

"The collected hackwork will be posted on Slate on four successive Tuesdays, beginning Nov. 11. Readers will be invited to vote for the best hackwork in each event. The hack who collects the most votes will be declared victor and be invited to return next year to face challengers. The cheat sheets will be published for readers' inspection.

"Prepare yourselves."

Reader Survey, Round 2