Why did some reporters question the accuracy of In Cold Blood?

Some reporters questioned the accuracy of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood because of his use of literary techniques typically associated with fiction to recount a true crime. As a central figure in the New Journalism movement, Capote aimed to write a nonfiction novel that possessed the dramatic power, intricate structure, and excitement of a novel.12

Skeptical reporters were wary of his attempt to blend these genres, fearing that such methods undermined the credibility of journalism. They specifically questioned his assertion that a responsible journalist could write a true story that read like a novel, concerned that the pursuit of a compelling narrative might lead to the fabrication of details, the compression of dialogue, or the rearrangement of events. Critics argued that any departure from strict factual reporting, regardless of the intent to enhance the aesthetic or emotional experience of the story, moved the work away from journalism and into the realm of fiction.134