Talk:Gotcha journalism

Impossible?

Article states that this tactic is asking "impossible" questions to make conservatives look foolish. However, the cited question ("Name all 10 Commandments") is far from impossibe, and the most famous gotcha question of all (when Couric asked Palin what magazines she read) is in no way impossible. I will take steps to fix this article. LouW 23:21, 14 January 2012 (EST)

While Couric was certainly engaged in gotcha journalism, the specific question of what books or magazines she read is not in itself a gotcha question. What matters is whether it's a routine question she asks everyone, and then follows up in a "tell me about yourself way", or if it's just something to pounce on to make a point.

It also depends on whether the questioner is a political opponent of the interviewee. Sometimes a "host" of a show will debate a guest in the guise of doing an interview.

More interesting is whether any of this is done more by liberals than by conservatives. Surely someone keeps track of such things. --Ed Poor ^Talk 15:52, 19 January 2012 (EST)