@hightor,
It’s “become accepted”, but it seems shady as hell to me.
Of everything you say, one thing that I think might make sense is that the persons being reported on could protest - if what they said wasn’t being represented correctly.
But consider the position they’re in. If they simply make a statement saying that they
didn’t say those things or the conversation didn’t happen, they run the risk of giving even more air and light to the book being hawked, and inviting more press with more questions.
After that, their only recourse would be filing suit against the “legendary” author and megabucks publisher. How many people would or could do that?
I can easily imagine a scenario where they see the “blockbuster revelations” about conversations they never had, weigh out in their heads that no real harm is being done to reputation or bottom line, and just crack on. The genius “investigative reporters” make their bucks, the people get a juicy story, and God is in his heaven.
And if pressed, all Woodward or whoever has to say is “a professional journalist never reveals his sources”.
I’m sorry, I know I’ve gone on about this. But the amount of fawning and pearl clutching that’s done every time one of these “inside information never before heard” tomes surfaces just sticks in my craw.
I’d like for those highfalutin authors to be just as responsible as you or I, when we’re asked to back up our bullshit. They’re not even asked.
