Week 8: Chapter 9, 'Interviewing, a core skill'.

Reading: Chapter 9 - Interviewing, a core skill in The Daily Miracle: An introduction to journalism / David Conley & Stephen Lamble. Melbourne, Victoria. Oxford University Press, 2006. 3rd ed.

• 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?

Both quotes clearly have things wrong with them, but I would use the direct quote that is inaccurate and embarrassing. If it is direct, the journalist is only recite something that has been directly stated, it is not up to the journalist to sort out somebody else's inaccuracies.

• Is it ever justified for a journalist to intimidate a source with 'public exposure' to important public information?

I don't think it is ever justified and it is morally and ethically wrong to intimidate a source to get information, although I'm sure it is done on an almost daily basis.

• 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?

It's not a reasonable strategy to use sex appeal to gain information from a source. The problem with using sex appeal to gain information is that there is always a chance of it ruining any integrity that a story reveals as the personal chemistry used to obtain the information can always be called into question by people questioning whether the information is legitimate or not.

• What potential dangers could come back to haunt a journalist who gets too close to a source?

As above, the entire story could be ruined by the journalist getting to close with the source. Everyone will question if the information is legitimate as it came from the journo being so close to the source.
If a journalist becomes very close to the source, the legitimacy could also be questioned in that the source may give the journalist false information just to please them.

• Who is the most inarticulate, word mangling public figure in the news at present? Should you feel sorry for them and fix up their quotes or let them burn?

Sarah Palin, this says it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E