Pundits or Trump campaign coaches? A twist in news coverage
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Donald Trump this week if he really meant that President Barack Obama had founded the Islamic State group, it was the equivalent of offering him a do-over.
Trump declined, refusing to back down. While the GOP presidential candidate said Friday he was being sarcastic, the exchange stands as an example of a school of interviewing that some say turns political coverage on its head and others argue that, done right, can be valuable.
"It's journalistic malpractice to lead your witness to give the desired response," said Mark Feldstein, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland. "The standard in journalism is straight, objective questions, and that's what I teach my students."
While Hewitt and his fellow conservative pundits on TV are "partisans, not journalists," he said, "does that allow them to lead presidential candidates?"
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http://bigstory.ap.org/article/496d89be20024708b82545ba9fc4740b/pundits-or-trump-campaign-coaches-twist-news-coverage
