The Journalist and The Murderer

It's a label all journalists both despise and fear:

LIAR.

Being labeled a liar, a fabricator, a fraud in journalism is career-ending. In a world where the truth pays the bills, anything less is unacceptable. There are rules in place, ethical rules, that don't operate on a "three-strike-and-you're-out" mentality.

Lie once, and you can pack your things.

That's what happened to Michael Finkel, a reporter for The New York Times who fabricated a character in an article he wrote about child labor in Africa. After he was caught and fired from his job, Finkel was faced with the most bizarre twist of fate that seemed too unbelievable to be real.

Christian Longo, a man wanted for the murders of his wife and three young children, had been living in Mexico under the assumed identity of a New York Times reporter.

Michael Finkel.

The disgraced journalist soon formed a bond with the convicted killer, and through the unconventional relationship, reevaluated his own life and deceptions.

This all boils down to one question: what happens when a journalist becomes a part of what they're reporting? All the blog entries for class this week will deal with that question. Can a journalist accurately and impartially report a story that they've become emotionally and/or physically involved in? Michael Finkel saw Christian Longo's story as his chance for journalistic redemption, but in the end, it became a lot more.

The brief article I read in Vanity Fair (a small excerpt from Finkel's book) fascinated me. I was completely drawn into the story and curious as to how everything worked out. If you're like me and want to know more, order a copy of True Story from Amazon. I think this is a very interesting issue, one I'm anxious to explore further.