Public figures (especially government public figures) should always be on their A-game, saying nothing to the average citizen that they wouldn't say to a reporter — because thanks to Huffington Post's Off the Bus and other projects like it, it can be difficult to know when the two are one in the same.
I don't fault Mayhill Fowler for seizing the fleeting moment in asking President Clinton for his reaction to a then-recent (and particularly scathing) piece on him in Vanity Fair. I would not have expected her to precede her off-the-cuff question with "Hi, I'm Mayhill Fowler, a citizen reporter with Off the Bus of the Huffington Post, and I was wondering..." Had it been within the context of a sit-down interview in which time was not pressing and she chose not to identify herself, I would question Fowler's motives. But she was behind a rope line, no doubt grappling with a crowd for Clinton's attention, as he left a rally, and time was of the essence. There was no room for pleasantries.
Besides, political figures have too long enjoyed the luxury of being prompted before being questioned by reporters. All too often this leads to the revelation of half-truths, self-censorship and lies. One of the most fundamental roles of journalists is to be watchdogs of the government. How can they carry out that role if the government sometimes gets a break from being watched? Heads of state do not enjoy the same rights to privacy as average citizens — especially not on the campaign trail.
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