Chapter 9

Interviewing: a core skill

1. Which would you choose: a direct quotation that is accurate but unclear and embarrassing to the speaker, or one that is clear but is inexact and makes the speaker appear more eloquent than he or she really is?

I would use a direct quotation in that it has a higher impact in a story. Although the direct quote may be somewhat unclear the story and the rest of the article should clarify what is not represented in the quote. While the quote may be somewhat embarrassing to the speaker it would encompass the state of the speaker at the time, and add significant weight to the article.


2. Is it ever justified for a journalist’s to intimidate a source with a threat of ‘public exposure to get important public information?

Media Mogels who have threatened to negatively expose persons for personal gain is not justified; it is a breach of journalist morals and the code of ethics. In light of this however I believe that journalists can be justified to intimidate a source with a threat of public exposure – if it is in the public’s best interest. If the person is a high profile politician keeping or misleading the public I believe that the journalist should threaten public exposure to expose the actual truth.

3. Is it a reasonable strategy for a journalist – male or female – to use ‘personal chemistry’ to get information from sources when there is public interest at stake?

Personal chemistry is open to debate. If this refers to a journalist simply using connections that they have favourable relations with then I see there is no harm in using the personal chemistry to get the story – this extends to flirting. However if personal chemistry is referring to sleeping with someone to obtain a story I believe this is ethically wrong and going to extreme measures to gain an advantage.


4. What potential dangers could come back to haunt a journalist who gets to close to a source?

If a journalist gets to close to a source, it may impact the journalist’s future or article in a variety of ways. For instance an article may be indivertibly written with a bias opinion, there may be issues with working with the source in the future, and the source may negatively impact the journalists reputation.