Reporter Interview Question:

Tell us have you ever had to pretend you're someone you're not to get access to a person or place?

Submitted by: Muhammad

I impersonate no one. When I go into a place, I do my best not to answer any questions, but if someone asks me who I am, I tell them. If you lie to people, your leverage is gone. Why should they tell you anything if you're a liar? I know people who've done the impersonation thing, who've lied to people about who they are and what they're doing, and they're malignant. Decent journalists have to repair the damage they've done.

Don't get me wrong: people have looked at me and seen a detective. I don't rush around telling people I'm not a detective. But I let everybody I speak to know who I am. Sometimes it's at the beginning of the interview, sometimes in the middle, and sometimes at the end.
Submitted by: Muhammad