Sean Penn, El Chapo, and the Ethics of Their Mountaintop Meeting

The Hollywood film-worthy life of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo, took a twist on Friday when he was captured by Mexican marines after an intense gun battle.

On the heels of his arrest, Rolling Stone released an interview on Saturday that actor Sean Penn secretly conducted with the drug kingpin back in October. 

Why was a movie star interviewing a criminal, and were any journalistic ethics compromised for the piece? NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik says it's appropriate for journalists to interview controversial figures, but Rolling Stone's agreement to let El Chapo review the article and demand changes represents "an extraordinary relinquishment of editorial discretion."

What we know about the secret meeting between Sean Penn and El Chapo https://t.co/xmniAlDE1m pic.twitter.com/YAcDkwIElO

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 11, 2016

For those asking: I bring up Miller/Bin Laden bec it's ok to do interviews with reprehensible figures. It's all about what you do with it.

— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) January 10, 2016