New York Times Reporter James Risen Laments Lost Art Of Undercover Reporting

By: Michael Calderone | Huffington Post

NEW YORK -– New York Times reporter James Risen acknowledged in his new book, Pay Any Price, that he posed in one instance as an investor to look into money laundering in the Middle East, a break with the journalistic convention of always identifying oneself as a reporter. One reviewer said the practice would be a firing offense at another newspaper.

Going undercover isn't encouraged at the Times either, which mandates in its handbook that "staff members may not pose as police officers, lawyers, business people or anyone else when they are working as journalists."