Reporters typically buy lunch, dinner, or drinks for a source -- the idea being that the source's time is worth something. As the New York Times Ethical Guidebook puts it, "Staff members may see sources informally over a meal or drinks, but they must keep in mind the difference between legitimate business and personal friendship." The interesting ethical question here is whether a low income source's time is possibly worth more, because she may need to work more low-paying jobs to get by or is taking a bigger hit in sacrificing time. Or is the difference between business and friendship the more important one?
Reporters typically buy lunch, dinner, or drinks for a source -- the idea being that the source's time is worth something. As the New York Times Ethical Guidebook puts it, "Staff members may see sources informally over a meal or drinks, but they must keep in mind the difference between legitimate business and personal friendship." The interesting ethical question here is whether a low income source's time is possibly worth more, because she may need to work more low-paying jobs to get by or is taking a bigger hit in sacrificing time. Or is the difference between business and friendship the more important one?
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