I remember never questioning this as a kid in the newsroom. It always seemed very fair. I think my favorite thing you said once is that "if both sides are complaining you know you did your job." I don't think people even know journalism ethics ever existed at this point. Most "news" isn't really news anymore. It's this weird product people consume.
I don't agree that if both sides are complaining it means you did the job well. Maybe the story was genuinely flawed. Or maybe one side is complaining for good reason and the other side is j just trying to work the refs to intimidate you or influence your future coverage.
I’ve practiced and taught broadcast journalism both in the USA and in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America for more than 30 years.
Of course, the news director should have been fired. As I repeatedly told journalism students and broadcasters here and abroad, ethical journalists have no private lives. They represent their news organization—whether they like it or not—24 hours a day; seven days a week.
That is one reason I dislike the current policy of many journalists posting blogs—either required by their news organizations or voluntarily on their own. Once you express your opinion on any topic, you’ve lost your credibility as a trusted source of news.
My own political practices were the same as described by Dave. I never said either in classes or workshops what my ideological orientation was. And I did vote but never participated in any other political activity.
Now in retirement, I do pen an occasional commentary on my personal blog. But my wife and I steer clear of controversial conversations with friends who have different perspectives. Their friendship is far more important than political differences.
I value transparency more than a journalist pretending not to have political opinions. It's interesting to me how much editorializing is smuggled into ostensibly "objective" news stories.
I would allow a reporter to engage in that kind of political activism, but I wouldn't assign her to cover any abortion-related stories. If it couldn't be avoided I would require an on-air disclosure that she collected signatures for that initiative.
I remember never questioning this as a kid in the newsroom. It always seemed very fair. I think my favorite thing you said once is that "if both sides are complaining you know you did your job." I don't think people even know journalism ethics ever existed at this point. Most "news" isn't really news anymore. It's this weird product people consume.
I don't agree that if both sides are complaining it means you did the job well. Maybe the story was genuinely flawed. Or maybe one side is complaining for good reason and the other side is j just trying to work the refs to intimidate you or influence your future coverage.
I’ve practiced and taught broadcast journalism both in the USA and in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America for more than 30 years.
Of course, the news director should have been fired. As I repeatedly told journalism students and broadcasters here and abroad, ethical journalists have no private lives. They represent their news organization—whether they like it or not—24 hours a day; seven days a week.
That is one reason I dislike the current policy of many journalists posting blogs—either required by their news organizations or voluntarily on their own. Once you express your opinion on any topic, you’ve lost your credibility as a trusted source of news.
My own political practices were the same as described by Dave. I never said either in classes or workshops what my ideological orientation was. And I did vote but never participated in any other political activity.
Now in retirement, I do pen an occasional commentary on my personal blog. But my wife and I steer clear of controversial conversations with friends who have different perspectives. Their friendship is far more important than political differences.
I value transparency more than a journalist pretending not to have political opinions. It's interesting to me how much editorializing is smuggled into ostensibly "objective" news stories.
I would allow a reporter to engage in that kind of political activism, but I wouldn't assign her to cover any abortion-related stories. If it couldn't be avoided I would require an on-air disclosure that she collected signatures for that initiative.