New Versus Old Media

David Brooks and Gail Collins take on New and Old Media in their ongoing conversation at the New York Times. The career journalists think beat reporting is still crucial to worthwhile journalism. Reflecting on the McCrystal/Rolling Stone story, Brooks says that, “It is true that when you interview people you do develop relationships, and there is some pressure not to burn the people you admire and rely on. Nonetheless, I think the deal is worth it for the reader. In the first place, you learn what’s not true. Pundits who don’t do interviews often speculate on what is happening, but they usually don’t know what they are talking about.”