I saw the movie Capote last night, and walked away wondering this:
Truman Capote threw out all notions of journalism ethics by infiltrating the town for information and becoming very close with the convicted killer, using him for the sake of the story. The result was In Cold Blood, arguably one of the best American books ever written and the advent of a new genre - the non fiction novel. But, does that make it OK? Do the ends justify the means?
Similar ethical issues exist today, perhaps to a different degree, with arguably different stakes. What's more, the journalism landscape is more aggressive and the public (and sources) more skeptical. But how much of that still happens, and how far should you go - or can you go without sacrificing your integrity - for the story?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Was a frickin' great movie. And revealed disturbing stuff - paying for entrance into the prison to interview the inmates? Dirrrrty. "In Cold Blood?" Amazing. Hmm, hard choices.
Post a Comment