One of the defining aspects of current journalistic practice that has, for years, caused me concern is the written-in-stone dictum that a responsible journalist must NEVER share his story with a source prior to publication.
Whenever, in the past, I queried a publisher or editor about doing such, to check a fact or to clarify information prior to publication, I was met with a look of horror, followed by verbal outrage and a litany of reasons why.
In this week’s issue of The Nashville Scene, media ethics instructor and ‘Scene’ contributor Willy Stern asks and answers the question “What is wrong with sharing a story prior to publication?”
You’ll likely be surprised at his answer to that question.
