A quote from the Obama flap and the blogger who reported it

Again via my flagger. Marc Cooper, who edits the blog on which Obama's controversial remarks about Pennsylvanians were recorded, discusses the ethics of citizen journalism in fundraisers. This part seems perceptive:

"Obama was indeed more loose-lipped than usual. He should be more careful in his choice of words when he is staring into so many video cams, no matter who is holding them.”

Right. Some are making noises to the effect that fund raisers are "off the record" and so citizen journalists should not report them. But conventions such as "off the record" only work when you can establish a stable relationship with a stable entity (such as the NYT) and enforce the convention by restricting access to that entity if it does not live up to the bargain. When every supporter can bring a videocamera and post the results, nothing is off the record.

Katharine Q. Seelye - On Line - The New York Times - Politics - Election 2008 - New York Times

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