of Emails sent to and from Jeffrey Epstein An article published this week sheds light on the delicate relationship between reporters and their sources. And, as is often the case, bright light isn’t always pleasant.
Messages with Epstein convicted sex offender Michael Wolff, who died by suicide in 2019, and Landon Thomas Jr. were often on good terms, and in one case Wolff was seen giving Epstein advice on how to interact with the media — journalists are taught the lines they shouldn’t cross. Mr. Wolf specializes in “you-are-there” internal accounts made possible by focused reporting, but some of his work has been questioned.
Journalists are often seen giving interviews in public and asking questions at press conferences. Personal phone calls, texts, messages, etc., in which a reporter attempts to tap into a source who otherwise would not want to provide information, are inherently different. But the ethical rules remain, and are followed by most American journalism.
Wolff’s advice came in a December 2015 exchange in which he said he heard CNN planned to question then-presidential candidate Donald Trump about his relationship with Epstein. Mr. Epstein wondered if we could give him an answer, what would it be?
“I think we should let him hang himself,” Wolff replied. “If you say he’s not on the plane or home, that gives you valuable PR and political currency. You can either hang him in a way that could potentially benefit you positively, or if you really think he’s going to win, you can help him and create debt.”
Advice on media relations for convicted sex offenders
This exchange surprised some experts.
Dan Kennedy, a media writer and professor at Northeastern University, said independence is extremely important to journalists, and Wolf compromised that.
Kathleen Bartzen Culver gets angry just thinking about that example. Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin, said there are many ethical questions to consider every day, such as whether a reporter should donate $20 to cover a poor person who lost benefits during the government shutdown.
“Giving public relations advice to a convicted sex offender is not one of them,” she says.
Mr. Wolfe, a two-time National Magazine Award winner, has written books such as: “Fire and Fury” Books about the early days of the first Trump administration and Rupert Murdoch’s biography “The Man Who Owned the News.” “Historically, one of the problems with Wolff’s omniscience is that he may know everything, but he gets some things wrong,” wrote the late David Carr of the New York Times. in review In Murdoch’s book.
Wolff did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press, but acknowledged: “Inside Trump’s Head” He reported on the podcast that some of the email messages were embarrassing. But media savvy, he said, “gives me the kind of fame that gives me a seat at the table. If someone wants attention, they can get the Epstein story.”
At some point in 2016, Mr. Wolf turned the tables and asked Mr. Epstein for advice on what questions to ask in his upcoming interview with President Trump. This is a legitimate journalistic activity and is part of the reporting that goes into preparing for an interview.
The 2016 exchange with Epstein included a plea for an interview mixed with some advice: “I have an opportunity this week to come forward and talk about Trump in a way that will garner your great sympathy and help end him. Would you be interested?”
Wolf said on the podcast that part of his role is “acting,” getting sources to reveal things they wouldn’t tell anyone else. And he criticized his critics.
“These are not the people who have written the kinds of books that I have written,” he said, “and I often distinguish the work that I do from the journalists who do their jobs, the daily reporters who work for an organization and work within a very prescribed set of rules. I’m a writer who manages to build relationships that can tell stories in a way that the New York Times or other highly reputable journalism organizations can’t.”
Not all readers can tell the difference
Not everyone can tell the difference when considering a work of nonfiction. “It’s heartbreaking to see that kind of work tainted by this kind of garbage,” Culver said, citing journalism as a job that requires courage and skill to report.
Should journalists behave differently in public and in private? Not really. That’s why Connie Chung had a hard time surviving her 1995 exchange with then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s mother. Mr. Gingrich initially balked when Mr. Chung asked his son what he thought about Hillary Clinton, but then asked Mr. Chung on camera, “Why don’t you just whisper it to me, just between you and me?”
Many of the interactions between Epstein and journalists are chatty, gossipy, and seemingly innocuous, but not the kind of content you’d want published years later. Northeastern’s Kennedy read some of the emails between Wolf and Epstein, which he said “appeared to be kibitzing with a child molester for no apparent purpose.”
In one email conversation, former New York Times reporter Thomas said he had received a call from another journalist who was writing a book about Epstein. “He seems very interested in your relationship with the news media,” Thomas wrote. “I told him you’re one hell of a guy :)”
Thomas also didn’t hide his feelings toward Trump in one conversation. This is a personal opinion that most reporters should keep to themselves. “I’m starting to worry,” Thomas wrote in July 2016. “Will he ever be destroyed?”
Relations between journalists and sources: tread carefully
Journalists must be careful to maintain boundaries, especially when dealing with people new to the media. There is certainly a fine line. Reporters need their sources to trust them, but it is a form of deception when sources begin to think of journalists as friends who will never betray them.
When people think of bias in journalism, they most commonly think of politics. Culver said bias often manifests itself in relationships, whether a reporter likes or dislikes the other person.
“I advise my students to be human with their sources,” she said. “It’s not about being friendly or nice, it’s about being respectful and understanding.”
Mr. Thomas stopped working for the Times in 2019 after editors found violations of ethical standards. National Public Radio reported that Mr. Thomas asked Mr. Epstein to donate $30,000 to a charity supported by journalists.
In one exchange that received widespread attention online, Mr. Epstein asked Mr. Thomas in 2015 if he would like to take a photo of Mr. Trump and girls in bikinis in the kitchen. “Yes!!!” the reporter replied.
But the Times said no such photos were expected to appear in the future.
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press. please follow him http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.socia I
