"Fidelity to the subject's thought and to his characteristic way of expressing himself is the sine qua non of journalistic quotation"

This quote by Janet Malcolm highlights the value of accuracy and truthfulness in journalism. She is worrying the value of being loyal to the subject's thoughts and the method they reveal themselves. This means that reporters ought to not take the topic's words out of context or manipulate them in any method. Instead, they need to accurately and faithfully represent the topic's ideas and the way they expressed them. This is vital for journalistic stability and reliability. By being devoted to the topic's ideas and the way they reveal themselves, journalists can make sure that their reporting is precise and credible. This is the sine qua non of journalistic quotation, and it is important for journalists to comply with this concept.