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• Monday, June 11, 2007 06:48 AM

  The big frat party

  I.F. Stone famously declined to socialize with the wielders and brokers of power in Washington whom he covered, as he recognized the perils of becoming too chummy with one's subjects: one would come to develop friendly bonds with them which could compromise one's ability to see them clearly and to report on them honestly and frankly, particularly where such honesty would reflect badly on their character or behavior.

  The Beltway today is a big frat party, and many of the journalists see themselves as peers of those they cover; when one knows and likes another, it is difficult to stop oneself from finding reasons to justify or at least mitigate the character flaws or questionable behavior of that person. This is a natural part of human psychology and it is admirable when friends stand behind one another. However, a reporter's responsibility is to report on the activities of the powerful with honesty and with skepticism. A reporter who becomes friends--or who is seduced into thinking he is a "friend"--of the powerful people he covers has already betrayed his primary constituency and his professional responsibility.

  Joe Klein is just another whore, like all the rest. (To quote the title of a book by writer and music critic R. Meltzer; Meltzer meant the title to apply to himself.)

  —Robert1014 Read Robert1014's other letters
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