Reporters must realize that story directions can change as new developments occur or as new ideas emerge from editors' news-budget meetings. For the most part, those budget-discussion ideas are good and are intended to help the readers get more information. Likewise, editors must realize that not all stories go the way first discussed. The reporters' assignments are to get the facts and see where they lead. If they lead a direction different from a preconceived notion, then editors should let the story take the new direction.
Readers deserve a complete and honest account, whatever the story is.
In editor-reporter relationships, editors are expected to press for quality reporting. If questions aren't answered in stories, editors should push for those answers - even if that means reporters must make additional phone calls or a story must be held until it is right. Reporters also must understand that in these days of careful investigative work, editors should ask tough questions about sources and about double-checking facts. Finally, both reporters and editors should recognize that a key responsibility of a beat reporter is to come to the editor with strong story ideas and to convert those ideas into equally strong stories. Not all stories have to be blockbusters.