Thursday, September 27, 2007

Don't be too friendly with sources

By: Charles Glover

Sources are a journalist's best friend, but they could also could bring into question the neutrality of those said journalists. Reading an article entitled "Drawing the line between the press and the source" which featured an example of the problem and solution through The New York Times and its refusal to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner.

What the story points out is something that every journalist, at least in my mind, should remember at all time when dealing with a source. They are great, but a journalist must be aware of how to interact with them. If said journalist becomes too cozy, that journalist is not serving the public so much as his or her self, or the business that they represent.

It doesn't look good in the public eye if a journalist is seen as being too friendly with the source, and this in turn can hurt the credibility of both the journalist and the establishment that a journalist works for. So, I agree with the idea that is presented in the article, with keeping a source at a distance. It's just the right thing to do.


_Charles Glover_


To see the article click HERE

2 comments:

paige said...

I agree, having to close of a relationship with the source can lead to meany things. In classes in the past the teachers have always told me to respect the source but to not love the source. Being able to keep in contact with the souce is key but becoming too friendly can become harmful to you and whoever you are repoting for.

Crystal said...

I also agree, keeping a good relationship with your source can be beneficial. However, getting to friendly can lead to complications. The line must be drawn somewhere.