Byline: Margaret Sullivan; 2013-04-26; The New York Times;
Tags: lobbyists, New York Times Public Editor, undercover, Washington
Article Links"... I would see the case far differently if a Times reporter had been eavesdropping on a private citizens for a salacious story or had illegally broken into a private home. That would be unacceptable -- but it wasn't what happened." "My conclusion: Given the buttoned-down, scrubbed-up way politicians present themselves, it's challenging for reporters to get under the surface. And it's important for citizens that they do. "What Mr. Lipton [the reporter, Eric Lipton] did should not become an everyday practice. But -- seen in this wider context -- it's not nly pretty small stuff, but also reflects some journalistic initiative that serves Times readers well."
Description:The New York Times Public Editor examines in a "minor case study" Eric Lipton's surreptitious entry to a private gathering of Washington lobbyists and the complaint that ensued.
Rights: Copyright New York Times, all rights reserved