Editing Journalist (section)

== Relationship with sources ==
The relationship between a professional journalist and a source can be rather complex, and a source can sometimes have an effect on an article written by the journalist. The article 'A Compromised Fourth Estate' uses Herbert Gans' metaphor to capture their relationship. He uses a dance metaphor, "The Tango", to illustrate the co-operative nature of their interactions inasmuch as "It takes two to tango". Herbert suggests that the source often leads, but journalists commonly object to this notion for two reasons:
# It signals source supremacy in news making.
# It offends journalists' professional culture, which emphasizes independence and editorial autonomy.

The dance metaphor goes on to state:

{{blockquote|A relationship with sources that is ''too cozy'' is potentially compromising of journalists' integrity and risks becoming collusive. Journalists have typically favored a more robust, conflict model, based on a crucial assumption that if the media are to function as watchdogs of powerful economic and political interests, journalists must establish their independence of sources or risk the fourth estate being driven by the fifth estate of public relations.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lewis|first1=Justin|last2=Williams|first2=Andrew|last3=Franklin|first3=Bob|title=A Compromised Fourth Estate|journal=Journalism Studies|date=6 February 2008|pages=1–20|doi=10.1080/14616700701767974|volume=9|s2cid=142529875}}</ref>
}}