Byline: Steve Robinson; 1979-07-01; Columbia Journalism Review; pages pp14-15
Report: Undercover Journalism Debated
Tags: Chicago Sun-Times, deception, Mirage, owned and operated a tavern, Pulitzer board, Pulitzers, undercover
"James Reston helped to define the issue when he reportedly drew a distinction between 'pretense' and 'deception' at the [Pulitzer] board meeting. Pretense, in this scheme is a passive act: the reporter allows someone to draw the wrong conclusion about who he is or what he knows. Deception, however, is active; the reporter intends to mislead. 'It's biblical, man,' says [Ben] Bradlee of the Post. 'How can newspapers fight for honesy and integrity when they themslevse are less than honest in getting a story? Would you want a cop to pose as a newspaperman?' Other board members, however, admit that they have allowed reporters to conceal their identities in the past, and most reserve the right to do so in the future."
Description:Discussion of the brouhaha at the 1979 Pulitzer Prize deliberations over the methods used in the Chicago Sun-Times' Mirage sting.
Rights: Copyrighted, used with permission.
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