This week, for the first time, I grew tired of hearing the word "digital". It was quite a surprise, because I owe my life to the Internet. I'm able to live in Paris because I can stay in virtual contact with clients all over the world. I met my wife when she sent me an email - commenting on this very column, by the way. I use Google to search for material that inspires my books and articles. Images and films sourced from the internet add depth to my speeches and classes. So what's not to like?
I think it's the sense that journalists are now controlled by the Internet, rather than the other way around. We write articles in a certain way, with certain words in the headline, because we want them to appear high up in Google searches - the arcane art of "optimization". We are tempted to compromise our integrity because we know that certain subjects - mainly sex and celebrities - attract a higher number of clicks. For all its advantages, I'm pretty sure that the Internet has not raised the standards of journalism. Personally, I didn't get into this job to become a slave to clicks or write for a search engine. That's why I agree with the proposed Google Tax. It's a way of regaining some control. Many aspects of the digital world are marvellous, and in any case there's no going back. But let's not abandon the analogue values of quality and craftsmanship.
