One of the questions journalists frequently get asked is how we get people to tell us things, especially the things it would be in their best interest not to disclose. The simplest answer is: “We ask.”
Most people will want to talk to you when you tell them you are doing a story, even if they shouldn’t. And asking simple, open-ended questions is by far the easiest way to gather information.
Remember this: Most people most of the time don’t want to lie.
But sometimes they do.
So how do you tell when someone is lying? Well, one way is to ask questions about minor details of the person’s life. And if you’ve done your homework you already know the answers to those types of questions.
Add them into the mix, because they should be easy for your subject to answer as long as he or she is being honest. But often people will lie about these little things because they’re working so hard to cover up big things.
One lie leads to another, so to speak.
All of this requires a certain amount of discipline on the journalist’s part. So you have to avoid falling into the trap of lying yourself. When I conduct journalism ethics seminars, one issue that often comes up is whether it is okay to misrepresent yourself in order to get a story.
I don’t think that it is okay. Working undercover, some journalists have uncovered huge scandals, but in my opinion that happens at the sacrifice of a greater goal. We are supposed to be about the truth — not just getting big stories — so if we get information by misrepresenting ourselves we are subverting one of the core values that legitimize our work.
It’s not that we have to be squeaky-clean in everything do as journalists — far from it — but if your story eventually ends up in court you have to be able to look the judge and jury in the eye and say you believe the information you gathered is accurate and that you gathered it in legitimate ways.
(“Reporter’s Notebook” is an occasional series based on my lectures over many years at Stanford, U-C Berkeley and San Francisco State.)
HEADLINES:
U.N. Security Council passes Gaza cease-fire proposal drafted by the U.S. (NBC)
Hunter Biden Gun Case Goes to Jury as Prosecutors Wrap Up Closing Arguments (NYT)
The Terrorism Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again (Foreign Affairs)
The far-right’s election gains rattle EU’s traditional powers (AP)
‘A Slow-Rolling Nightmare’: Inside the Revolt at the Wall Street Journal (National Review)
Inside Israel’s hostage rescue: Secret plans and a deadly ‘wall of fire’ (WP)
Justice Alito Caught on Tape Discussing How Battle for America ‘Can’t Be Compromised’ (Rolling Stone)
Japan's Latest Plan To Reverse Declining Birthrate (Newsweek)
Microplastics are infiltrating our organs, threatening our health (WP)
OpenAI hires new CFO and product chief, announces Apple deal to integrate ChatGPT (CNBC)
As OpenAI Employees Warn of AI Apocalypse, Apple Is Poised to Embrace ChatGPT (CNET)
Study Finds More Americans Taking On Third Job To Help Keep CEOs Afloat (The Onion)
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