Subway-Chompin' Risen: Just A Guy?

Treacle. The word, meaning a blend of molasses, sugar, and corn syrup, or not surprisingly, something cloyingly sweet, came to mind as I read a bit of James Risen hero worship by Jon Friedman in MarketWatch.

We learn of the NYT reporter who broke the NSA story, resulting in who knows how much increased threat to America's safety:

• "... he is genuinely a no-frills guy who shuns the spotlight." When, exactly, did it become essential for journalists be high-frills guys who seek the spotlight?
• "Clearly, an author as hot as Risen could've dined anywhere -- and on his publisher's nickel, to boot. But when he spotted a Subway fast-food shop, he pointed to it and shrugged, 'How about there?' Sure enough, that's where we conducted the interview." Insights like this are what keep the media alive!
• Risen says of himself, "I'm just a reporter. I'm not trying to be any more than that."

Oh, what a wonderful guy! A guy who eats at Subway, shuns the elite accoutrements of fame-journalism, and is "just a reporter" couldn't possibly be the kind of guy who would deliberately hurt America in the name of reaping big profits on his new book, so expertly timed to follow the NYT expose on the NSA.

Give me a break.