Why did Gay Talese hesitate to describe himself as a New Journalist?

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Gay Talese did not identify as a New Journalist because he viewed himself as a traditional writer dedicated to producing work with lasting resonance. Furthermore, he associated the New Journalism movement with a focus on flashiness and celebrity, which he felt stood in contrast to the rigorous, hard legwork essential to quality reporting. Despite his hesitation to adopt the label, Talese is widely recognized as a foundational figure in the movement, having influenced many other writers within the genre.12