Multitasking for What?

Ruben Navarrett Jr. on May 12, 2013

At first glance, this is a story about a media critic who is now under the same microscope that -- for more than two decades -- he has put many of his colleagues. It's about making mistakes, which we all do. And being willing to correct them publicly, which many of us are not always eager to do.

But for me, this story is about something bigger, something that goes far beyond the Beltway and should resonate with millions of Americans.

That's because, when Folkenflik asked about what had been Kurtz's "multiple roles" -- media critic and Washington bureau chief of The Daily Beast, author, CNN host, contributor to a new media website, etc. -- and whether the journalist had been "distracted," Kurtz said this:

"I'll leave it to others to judge whether I have taken on too much. I have always done both print and TV. I shouldn't say always, but for a long time. My kids tell me I work too hard. It's hardly unusual in the multimedia world for people to take on multiple responsibilities."

Kurtz is right. It is a multimedia world, and it is customary for those of us who participate in it to juggle several jobs at once. I myself worry about doing too much. For me, it is a process of continual self-evaluation.

But this is also a cautionary tale, and not just for journalists. All Americans should take note. We can't possibly do everything. So we should focus on doing just a few of what we consider the most important things, and doing them well. Otherwise, we may wind up accomplishing nothing at all.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.