"On the Media" | Miami Herald
Reporters on beats should frequently be asked that question, says
Edward Wasserman. He discusses his controversial
column with
Bob Garfield.
EDWARD WASSERMAN: Look, when I say scrap the beat system, it's a way to have a 700-word column to write, and I'm trying to call attention to a problem --
BOB GARFIELD: Ah-hah!
EDWARD WASSERMAN: - where I think it's an endemic conflict of interest that reporters have to deal with, and I think it should be out there in the open. I think that reporters should be asked routinely, what is the best story you know about that you can't write, and tell me why you're not writing it. I think reporters should be encouraged to talk about the conflict they have in dealing with their sources and the kinds of accommodations they're making.
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Read more transcripts from last weekend's "On the Media" ("OTM")
