Why does Krakauer begin to feel guilty about being a journalist on this expedition?

Why does Krakauer begin to feel guilty about being a journalist on this expedition?

• A. His teammates never signed up to be written about or gain media attention
• B. He believes journalists should not cover Everest at all
• C. He thinks his reporting endangered others' safety
• D. He should have waited until after the climb to publish

Answer: (A)

The key idea is the ethical tension a journalist faces when documenting a dangerous climb: do you intrude on people who didn’t choose publicity just to tell a story? Krakauer realizes that his teammates did not sign up to be written about or to have media attention drawn to them. That awareness makes him uneasy because his role as a reporter could alter the dynamics of the expedition, add pressure to perform, or influence decisions in risky moments. In short, consent matters—being the subject of a journalist’s lens changes the experience for the climbers, and their involvement wasn’t something they agreed to. That is why this reason best explains his growing guilt. As for the other ideas, they miss the core reason. It isn’t a blanket belief that journalists shouldn’t cover Everest, nor is it only about reporting itself endangering safety, and it isn’t primarily about when to publish. The guilt centers on the lack of consent and the potential intrusion into his teammates’ lives and safety.

The key idea is the ethical tension a journalist faces when documenting a dangerous climb: do you intrude on people who didn’t choose publicity just to tell a story? Krakauer realizes that his teammates did not sign up to be written about or to have media attention drawn to them. That awareness makes him uneasy because his role as a reporter could alter the dynamics of the expedition, add pressure to perform, or influence decisions in risky moments. In short, consent matters—being the subject of a journalist’s lens changes the experience for the climbers, and their involvement wasn’t something they agreed to. That is why this reason best explains his growing guilt.

As for the other ideas, they miss the core reason. It isn’t a blanket belief that journalists shouldn’t cover Everest, nor is it only about reporting itself endangering safety, and it isn’t primarily about when to publish. The guilt centers on the lack of consent and the potential intrusion into his teammates’ lives and safety.