NDA's have a place in business, but not for VC's and journalists who deal with different businesses and ideas everyday.
I run a small application development services company. Our clients insist on NDA's and we have no problem signing them. We're getting pre-release insight to product development which should be protected.
I am in a similar position, but I very much make sure they have a VERY specific confidentiality marking requirement (including a "must send a follow up communication within 24 hours after voice communications enumerating specific confidential items disclosed within the voice communication") .
If they want super secrets and don't just trust us to show discretion, they can clearly mark what is super secret, just like the Government does with it's secret information.
this is key for me, too. you do the work of figuring out what is secret or not. Not me. and if you mark every communication secret, well, maybe you're not the right client for me?
I agree, If you are partnering with a firm, or retaining a firm who will have access to company private information and they won't sign an NDA that's a red flag. http://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2008/01/08/we-sign-ndas/
That being said you should be able to have one or more conversations where you don't disclose private information so that both sides can evaluate whether a relationship makes sense.
I run a small application development services company. Our clients insist on NDA's and we have no problem signing them. We're getting pre-release insight to product development which should be protected.