Rick Bragg — American Author born on July 26, 1959,

Rick Bragg is an American journalist and writer known for non-fiction books, especially those about his family in Alabama. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1996 recognizing his work at The New York Times... (wikipedia)

People who think there is something pedestrian about journalism are just ignorant.
I don't think there's a difference between writing for a newspaper or magazine and doing a chapter in a book.
Most national correspondents will tell you they rely on stringers and researchers and interns and clerks and news assistants.
The best writers who have put pen to paper have often had a journalism background.
It is not unusual to send someone to conduct an interview you don't have time to conduct. It's what we do.