Thursday, September 08, 2011

The Art of Interviewing: Flirtation & Cohabitation with the Subject
Take a look at this clip from one of my favorite films, "Thank You for Smoking." Is it ethical to do what Katie Holmes' character is doing? **WARNING: Some nudity and sexuality**

1 comment:

....J.Michael Robertson said...

I guess I better watch the rest of the movie to see what she actually wrote *but* I'm pretty confident you have discovered an approach to interviewing that almost everyone would condemn. But you will note that I say "almost" because I'm guessing that some feature writers have slept with sources and the story was probably just about what it would have been sans intimacy.

I'm still naive enough to think doing such would damage most careers if discovered, would probably result in the acquisitive of information you couldn't use (well, shouldn't use; burn this guy and he wouldn't suffer by kissing and telling), is in no way professional.

Also, I'm guessing that some of the harm of it would be that some people still think this is how female reporters get some of their stories, that it would reinforce stereotypes that it would do damage to the cause of female reporters being taken seriously.

Maybe times have changed. Maybe I'm wrong.

Still, however, wrong because dishonest and manipulative.