Lois turning down interviews

[uncaged]

Did it strike anyone else as strange that Lois and Clark would both be interested in where Booster Gold came from but Lois would turn down an interview with him when he's holding an exclusive spot open for her? She didn't even have to write a soaring review of him like she will with Superman, all she has to do is interview him to find out what Clark was really worried about.

Heck, did it strike anyone else as odd that the DP wasn't breathing down her neck that she turned down an exclusive interview with such an obviously big news headline? I get that she backs the Blur, but I know that jumped out at me during those scenes. Just goes to show I guess how much Perry White is needed at the DP to remind Lois that she can't always pick and choose her stories. Aren't reporters given assignments sometimes?

[Anu]

That just comes to show that Lois isn't a good reporter. A good reporter doesn't act like that.

[liana]

In the Comics Lois doesn't approve of Booster right after he comes off. In fact, she wrote several articles exposing him and his methods. So, yeah, her turning him down because she knew fully well he wanted to use her as a way of promoting himself is completely canon.

In fact, in the Comics Lois Lane never does something she doesn't want to. She has refused several articles she didn't want to write, and she has refused promoting people she feels doesn't deserve it. And yet, with all that, she is still considered the best reporter in the DC universe. She has integrity and she never compromises that. I fail to see how exactly that makes her a bad reporter.

The truth is: Booster wanted promotion and wanted to use Lois. Lois saw that, and she said "Not me, Buster. Go find another P.R."

[uncaged]

It just seemed strange to me that she wouldn't at least try to see where this guy came from or what he was after. Especially since the episode is about her competing with Cat for a promotion. I mean at least Cat was trying to get an interview where Lois just kept walking away from it.

[liana]

Heck, did it strike anyone else as odd that the DP wasn't breathing down her neck that she turned down an exclusive interview with such an obviously big news headline? I get that she backs the Blur, but I know that jumped out at me during those scenes. Just goes to show I guess how much Perry White is needed at the DP to remind Lois that she can't always pick and choose her stories. Aren't reporters given assignments sometimes?

Just for the record, Perry White, in the Comics, was NEVER able to force Lois into writing anything she didn't want to write. It is one of the things that drive him insane, and yet, because he considers her a GREAT reporter, he doesn't fire her regardless. As long as she delievers as a reporter, and she does, that is what matters to him.

Considering that Geoff Jonhs is a comic book writer, you couldn't expect him writing Lois doing something completely "unLois" like as writing a story she doesn't want to write. Comics Lois would rather resign than doing that.

----- Added 1 Minutes later -----

It just seemed strange to me that she wouldn't at least try to see where this guy came from or what he was after. Especially since the episode is about her competing with Cat for a promotion. I mean at least Cat was trying to get an interview where Lois just kept walking away from it.

She was going after him, but there is a difference between investigating the guy AND giving him what he wanted. An extremely big difference, IMO. You have to remember Booster Gold told her since the beginning that he wanted her to write an interview PROMOTING HIM (remember the help each other speech?). She wasn't going to do that ever, considering she didn't support him.

She did, however, wrote an interview with Jaime. Why? Because he was someone she could support, and believe in. It has nothing to do with Clark or the Blur, but everything to do with her integrity as a journalist.

[kristintaps]

In the Comics Lois doesn't approve of Booster right after he comes off. In fact, she wrote several articles exposing him and his methods. So, yeah, her turning him down because she knew fully well he wanted to use her as a way of promoting himself is completely canon.

In fact, in the Comics Lois Lane never does something she doesn't want to. She has refused several articles she didn't want to write, and she has refused promoting people she feels doesn't deserve it. And yet, with all that, she is still considered the best reporter in the DC universe. She has integrity and she never compromises that. I fail to see how exactly that makes her a bad reporter.

The truth is: Booster wanted promotion and wanted to use Lois. Lois saw that, and she said "Not me, Buster. Go find another P.R."

I don't even have that kind of background knowledge in the comics, and I still took it that way. I figured Lois knew he would just bend any question he asked in to some sort of PR answer, and knew her investigative skills could be better used elsewhere.

[Anu]

how does not writing what you are offered to write (as a report should) make you into a "great reporter"? I'm sorry but I have a hard time understanding that.

[liana]

how does not writing what you are offered to write (as a report should) make you into a "great reporter"? I'm sorry but I have a hard time understanding that.

I never said that attitude makes her a "Great reporter". I am saying that, in the Comics, Perry consider her one, and respects her as one, therefore, he wouldn't ever fire her for refusing to write something she doesn't want to. And she still delievers front page stories all the time.

However, I do consider that a good reporter (or at least one with integrity) would refuse writing an interview exclusively directed at promoting someone, which was what Booster offered Lois to write. Sure, it would give her the promotion she wanted, but it would also make her an inescrupulous reporter that stops at nothing, even compromising what she believes to be right, just to serve her own personal agenda.

That, IMO, is not good reporting. That is reporting for sale.

----- Added 2 Minutes later -----

I don't even have that kind of background knowledge in the comics, and I still took it that way. I figured Lois knew he would just bend any question he asked in to some sort of PR answer, and knew her investigative skills could be better used elsewhere.

He actually told her he wanted her to write a positive interview. He gave her a speech about her promoting him, and having her promotion in return. It was supposed to be a deal. His speech was clear on that.

Anyone who knows Comics knows no one forces Lois Lane to write a story she doesn't want to write. As I said before, it drives Perry White insane sometimes.

[SnowBird]

Booster had a lot of nerve to ask Lois to do a story about him in front of Clark. He did everything wrong to get her to interview him. I don't blame her one bit for turning him down.

[Rianna]

how does not writing what you are offered to write (as a report should) make you into a "great reporter"? I'm sorry but I have a hard time understanding that.

This wasn't a story that came from an important event that Lois had to cover, nor it was offered like a normal story, Booster was practically stalking and harassing her into interviewing him, she could see there was something wrong behind his actions and that he had his own agenda, she refused because of that and also because she saw that all he cared about was to glorify himself. Giving into his wishes and doing the interview knowing there was something really wrong behind his actions and sensing that there was a bad outcome resulting from this just to get that promotion faster would have gone against her integrity as a reporter.

And you know what, she was right. Booster had a hidden agenda behind that interview.
When it was all settled Booster encouraged Jaime to give her the interview calling him "The real hero" and she accepted it gladly

[kilroy107]

I know from what little experience I got working on my High School's newspaper that a News Reporter is supposed to be neutral in writing a story, and for Booster to just say "Hey how about an interview with me" instead of Lois actively pursuing the story because it was something where she wouldn't be emotionally involved. That's how Lois would have reacted...done the story where she could be emotionally unattached and look at the job as a job.

[uncaged]

I'm not saying that Lois should have gone along with his plan to just give him free promotion, but I still think that she should have used the opening he gave her to do a little bit of investigating on her own. Seeing as it's an interview she would be the one asking the questions.

At one point didn't she say something about the Daily Planet not being interested in him? I think it was that line that made me question her actions. I'm pretty sure the DP would be very interested to hear what he had to say. Maybe she wasn't, but the DP probably wouldn't have gotten upset over an exclusive interview with the hottest news story going.

Don't get me wrong, I love the way she took the wind out of his sails when she turned him down flat. Booster's face was priceless, but from a logical standpoint from the writers and even Lois' pov it just seemed like she was throwing away a perfect opportunity to get some answers.

[Rianna]

And that's what she did in the end, not because he was stalking and pushing her into interviewing him, but because there was an actual story to be told about Booster, Jaime and Kord that didn't involve Booster promoting himself.

[uncaged]

True. I guess I would have liked to see her more actively pursuing a story in order to get that promotion rather than spending her time putting up billboards for Clark who didn't even really want them and have the job-winning story just fall in her lap. Lois' single-minded pursuit of stories is something i miss from LnC. Where just the thought that someone had a better story than hers sent her on a crusade to top their story and prove she was the best.

I guess there really wasn't time for that angle though, and at least we saw Clark doing some investigating of his own, using his awkwardness to get a few key points out of Ted K. I hope in addition to finding the Blue Beetle he turned that into a story as well.

I'm kind of curious what Lois' promotion is. Does moving up a floor mean she does the same job just for higher pay or does she actually have a different job description now?

[SnowBird]

Oh well, a Bigger story is coming and Booster will soon be just a drop in the bucket.

SUPERMAN