I.F. Stone: The Practice of Reporting

Abstract

I.F. Stone, the life-long radical journalist, often was lauded for his superior reporting. No work, however, has dealt systematically with his method of reporting. The purpose of this article is to analyze and assess the benefits and limitations of I.F. Stone's approach to reporting. Drawing on analyses of Stone's work, published interviews, secondary sources, and conversations held shortly before his death, the article identifies four key emphases in Stone's method: his strategic approach to documents, his commitment to history, his devotion to on-the-scene research, and his independence from sources. The article then considers limitations and adaptations of Stone's approach for the practice of reporting and for understanding the role of the reporter in contemporary American journalism.