When Sources Become Friends and Vice Versa

Interesting summer reading turned up in a recent Poynter column on keeping roles straight if/when the relationship between journalists and their sources begins to evolve. This situation could pertain to small town or tribal journalists, or to reporters covering a beat where over time they might become closer to sources. As author O. Ricardo Pimentel writes, "...the truth is that both people in such a relationship should just lay their cards on the table. Get the ground rules straight...What we're trying to avoid here is any misunderstanding that will sour either a business relationship or a friendship. But both of you should be on the same page about whether it is one or the other." Read more on-line: