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This section contains 4,091 words (approx. 14 pages at 300 words per page) |
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Summary
The Journalist and the Murderer is Janet Malcolm's study of journalistic integrity and ethics related to the fraud and breach of contract case brought by convicted murderer Jeffrey MacDonald against author Joe McGinniss in 1984.
Malcolm begins her essay by discussing the morally indefensible state of the work conducted by each journalist, regardless of skill. Malcolm contends that journalists prey on people's vulnerabilities and vanity in efforts to get information for their published pieces. While this may be true in the expedient cases of journalistic news, the situation regarding books is especially pertinent, because the journalist or author needs a relationship with the subject. It is the betrayal of that relationship and the realization of the betrayal by the subject that is the core topic of this essay.
The libel case about which Malcolm writes was brought by convicted murderer, Jeffrey MacDonald, against author Joe McGinniss. MacDonald was convicted of...
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This section contains 4,091 words (approx. 14 pages at 300 words per page) |
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