Is it valid to interview people by email?

I work in finance for some prominent bankers. These people receive questions from journalists all the time, which always get dumped on me. Every time these people are quoted saying something about the markets or economy, it is actually the miserable underling answering their email. How is it possibly valid to conduct interviews by email?


Shouldn't it be the first thing taught in Journalism 101 that a reporter should actually speak to the person they're quoting?





I'm just so sick of this practice. Is there some sort of journalists' association or watchdog that I can appeal to?

Is it valid to interview people by email?
I can see how that would be frustrating, but these folks are busy people, trying to multitask and you are part of the team. Sorry to say - but in a bad economy like this, it's best to suck up whatever comes your way with a smile. Better to be a team player than the first one to go.