They may actually be hired guns or well-heeled lobbyists, Melanie Sloan says in a Nieman Reports interview: "On the surface, these people look like legitimate experts. And I think many journalists don't necessarily look at the motivations of their sources. It's obvious when you're talking to a political campaign, but other than that I don't think reporters look closely enough. You have to check the background. What can you find that legitimates their expertise?"
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