You Can Never Know Too Much
While reading Haiman, pages 29-42, a few things stood out to me. First, I think it's great that professional journalists, editors, etc. can take classes to help further their education on the subject. This goes along with the idea that one can never know too much, or one never stops learning. I think that these professionals should have opportunies for education in the field because ideas and structures are transforming and the audiences are changing as well. I think both formal classes and "brown-bag discussions" are essential. Formal classes provide structure while the discussions should be relaxed and a time for co-workers to share ideas and relate to each other on the topic. Also, through discussion the professionals can in a sense be "on the same page" as the next person. And, it allows for effective communcation which is extremely important in the news world.
I also really liked when Pete Carey, mentioned in this section said, " 'If I'm quoting someone, I want them to pick up the paper in the morning and say, 'Yeah, that's exactly how I feel about it.' " I like this because it shows the goal to accurately quote people and to make the public happy. The quote should also be placed within the right context, or else the meaning behind the quote could become lost.
I like your point that quotes should accurately reflect what the speaker actually feels about the subject. I think that's why journalists need to be careful about their interviewing style and take into consideration the person being interviewed and the situation. People often say things they don't exactly mean in everyday life, so if they're not a politician or someone used to being interviewed by the press, they may let something slip out they didn't intend to say or word something in a way that implies something they didn't mean. I think that's why it's fair to let "ordinary" people look at the statements you're quoting them as saying and letting them change things they don't feel are accurate. If you're quoting them saying something they don't mean, you aren't truly doing your job of being an accurate reporter.
I agree with both of you. Richelle, I think that it's incredibly important to represent the views of your audience. That is why there still is the democratic and republican papers in Pittsburgh.
Matt, I think you hit on something, too. I've found that although going to interview someone in person is nice because of the personal touch and you can add to your questions in response to other answers you get, I still prefer emailing my sources. I CANNOT write fast at all nor do I have the money to go out and buy an expensive voice recorder. But when I email someone the answers are all there in an email and I can just cut and paste. It's lovely. The other problem with this, however, is that people sometimes don't get back to you. For example, for my Holocaust article I emailed about 5 or 6 people and 1 person emailed me back.