Talese's tips for the trade of reporter

They tie him to the New Journalism: the 1960s-70s movement that applied literary techniques to news writing. But it's a label with which Gay Talese feels uncomfortable. He does journalism, period. And he does it in the old style: without a tape recorder and with a healthy curiosity for the human condition. The 79-year-old was in Madrid this week to promote the reissue in Spain of his book Honor Thy Father , about the Bonanno mafia family, and chatted with journalist Juan Cruz at an EL PAÍS event at Complutense University.

"We can learn a lot from the people who aren't the heroes," he said. "In the Strauss-Kahn story, it would be interesting to know the story of these poor chambermaids who work in luxury hotels [...]. There are marginal areas that explain why someone behaves in a certain manner. A reporter shouldn't always just give the official version; sometimes you have to be a bit unpopular to be a good journalist."

But he warns you must be careful what you print. "You must never take advantage of people or violate their trust. Sometimes you can get a good story because someone pours their heart out to you and if you publish it, you are not doing anything unlawful. But I think we must be sensitive and not use what [...] someone has told you unconsciously, or ignoring the harm it would cause them."

While he is well known for his profiles of stars such as Frank Sinatra and Muhammad Ali, Talese's pieces on anonymous folk, such as a man who spent 50 years ringing the bell at boxing matches, are among his most memorable, a fact he uses to encourage aspiring journalists.

"They regret they never have time to do a story or don't have opportunities, but that isn't true. Yes, you can. Nobody has their life guaranteed; Picasso wasn't Picasso at the start. Those hoping to triumph as actors or dancers sometimes work as waiters or taxi drivers. You have to be strong to have success and humility."