reporters suspended for attending VFC/Springsteen concert

[MnFats]

St. Paul (AP) Two St. Paul Pioneer Press reporters who were suspended for attending the recent "Vote for Change" political fund-raising concert have filed a union grievance against the newspaper.

Reporters had been asked not to attend the Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. concert because ticket sales benefited an affiliate of the liberal group MoveOn. Newspaper management said attendance would compromise the politically neutral stance expected of journalists.


oops. here.s the link...


http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_293100624.html

sheeesh! What next?

[otohara]

1. Linky Please

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. "Compromise the politically neutral stance expected of journalists"????...

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Since when have journalists in this country been neutral?

[jobycom]

15. And they said it without saying "/sarcasm off" at the end?

Still waiting for Kathlene Seelye and Cece Connally to be fired for lying to sabotage Gore's candidacy in 2000.... (Listening for music from Jeopardy as we wait...)

Far better to be lie as a journalist while being an open activist for your party than to attend a rock concert and maybe imply your political beliefs, I guess. Or maybe this paper just has stricter standards than the NYT and WP.

[w4rma]

3. What they do on their personal time is their own buisness. These reporters

may have grounds for a law suit.

I think it is most likely that
A) The owner and/or political editor doesn't want their reporters to even *see* a liberal viewpoint.

B) The owner and/or political editor is purging as many folks who may be liberal from their newspaper as they can. In fact their statement practically says this.

Note, this excuse nearly exactly parallels the excuse that Sinclair gave for not showing the Nightline that listed the names of our dead American soldiers.

[chaumont58]

4. Shirley, you jest!

"Newspaper management said attendance would compromise the politically neutral stance expected of journalists."

In what universe are we expected to find neutral journalist? Certainly not inside the beltway.

[phantom power]

5. No doubt, they're planning to suspend any employees who attend

a GOP rally or fundraiser, too.

[rsmith6621]

6. More Fascism

:puke:

Whats the world coming to when your employer can tell you what you can and cant do in your private time.

[0007]

8. Been around for seventy odd years and the last fifty years

I've found this to be the common practice with large organizations.

Even in 1952 while in the Army we're told to vote for Eisenhower. But I guess voting for the person of your choice isn't a private matter when your in the Army.

[napi21]

16. It extends beyond politics with some Co.s

The employees of one of the big accounting firms were told they weren't permitted to eat lunch at a fast food restaurant, because it shed a bad light on their Corp. image. The same practice extended to employees of law firms, brokerage houses, certain level employees of banks, etc.

This thing with the journalists is definately political, and should never have happened, but I'm sure it goes beyond the "hearing liberal ideas" thing, to not wanting anyone associated with the paper to be seen at a Dem rally because it would damage the image they want for the paper.

[0007]

20. Oh, I could talk non stop for five straight hours on what extents

beyond politics.

Big business knows no bounds and always has a fall guy to take the blame when it appears they're wrong in the public eye.

[Ruby Romaine]

7. it's too bad those standards aren't held for Republicans

Bob Schaeffer- golfing buddy of *
Gwen Ifill- pal of Condoleeza
Howard Kurtz
Andrea Mitchell
Scalia& Thomas had son & spouse working for Bush when they selected him
etc.

[dolstein]

9. What about "journalists" who appear on MSNBC?

That certainly compromises the *appearnce* of neutrality.

[saracat]

10. There is a democratic anchor in Phoenix who told me

their job was threatened if they attended a Kerry Rally on their own time. They tell me this is common for the Broadcast media in this area! I would think this a violation of their constittional rights!

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

11. I can see the point for broadcast media...

They have "famous faces" and their mere presence at a rally -- unless they're reporting on it -- could cause people to find bias in their newscasts where there might be none.

In my opinion, requiring newsroom personnel to maintain strict political neutrality is not a new thing, nor is it entirely bad. All things considered, I would prefer that journalists stay out of partisan politics.

[atreides1]

13. In Case You Haven't Noticed

It's too late!!!!!

[Lerkfish]

17. journalists are also citizens

All things considered, I would prefer that bus drivers stay out of partisan politics on their own time.
All things considered, I would prefer that law clerks stay out of partisan politics on their own time.
All things considered, I would prefer that policemen stay out of partisan politics on their own time.
All things considered, I would prefer that doctors stay out of partisan politics on their own time.
All things considered, I would prefer that janitors stay out of partisan politics on their own time.
All things considered, I would prefer that telephone solicitors stay out of partisan politics on their own time.

am I a-gettin through to you yet?

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

21. No, you're not...

Janitors and Bus Drivers don't have the ability to sway millions of voters in their viewing audience. Policeman and Doctors don't have their version of the day's events read by hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

Journalists are citizens who have hold unique and vital place in our society. The other day, my six-year-old son asked why I was voting for John Kerry even though I never met him -- and the fact is I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and personally quiz Kerry on the issues. Like ten of millions of voters, I rely on what I read and hear in the media to make decisions. And I rely on unbiased journalists to give me the straight facts.

Journalists should be strictly neutral. When a politician makes a poor decision or acts in bad faith, journalists should be willing to rip him a new one in a New York Minute, and when a politician is acting in the best interest of the country, journalists should be willing to let the public know. There's a place in journalism for opinions, and it's called the editorial page, but when newspapers and news channel simply refuse to cover some events and issues, the body politic suffers.

I'll be the first to admit that the journalism profession I'm describing hardly exists right now, and we'll all the poorer because of that.

[w4rma]

23. Noone

is neutral. It's a big con for folks to pretend they are. The only thing that folks can do is just to report *everything*, all the information, even when it goes against their bias. And all people are biased.

If journalists, whether conservative or liberal journalists, report *everything*, then that's fine with me. Leave something out because it looks bad for your guy, and that is bias.

And that said, going to see a Springsein concert, even one being done with the purpose of voting a particluar political party out, is a personal endeavor and this outlet should never even be ASKING what journalists are doing on their personal time.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

24. Journalistic Neutrality

It doesn't meant that journalists don't have opinions. It means that they keep those opinions on the editorial pages and out of their work. And unlike the rest of us, they should avoid even the appearance of partisanship. The Springsteen Concert was a partisan political rally, and unless reporters are covering it as part of their work assignments, they should stay the hell away.

If the Tucker Carlsons or the Paul Begalas want to show up at these events, that's fine. They're self-proclaimed partisans and nobody expects them to be unbiased. But those whose job it is to cover this election should avoid taking sides, and should avoid even appearing to take sides.

[Lerkfish]

25. so....

you feel that because of someone's job, in their personal life they have no right to attend a political rally/concert?

I disagree, strongly, and I see that that is all we're going to accomplish here.

but keep in mind, you are wanting to restrict the political participation of fellow citizens.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

27. Yep

Don't like it? Don't go into the profession.

Does the term "media whore" ring any bells? That's the term we use here on DU whenever somebody in the media shills for the Bush Administration. If the anchorman at the local network affiliate acted as the Master of Ceremonies for a Bush Campaign rally, people here at DU would be having apoplectic fits. How does a serious journalist protect his or her reputation? By staying away from these events and avoiding even the appearance of impropriety. Newspapers and broadcast media have the right to protect their good name, and so they have a right to expect neutrality from their employees.

[Lerkfish]

31. Why stop there? Let's take away their right to vote, while we're at it....

sort of an anti-suffrage for journalists.

:hippie:

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

33. Because "stopping there" is sufficient...

Not every situation lends itself to the reducto ad absurdum, you know.

Lawyers aren't allowed to discuss their clients' cases with others. Aren't we just trampling on their First Amendment rights? Why stop there? Let's forbid them from talking with anybody lest they divulge their clients secrets!

Stock brokers aren't allowed to engage in a variety of prohibited otherwise legal business transactions. Heavens! We're talking away their right to earn an honest living! Maybe they should just be whipped naked down the streets of Manhattan.

The idea, which I can clearly see escapes you, is that journalists occupy a special niche in society and they are to be held to a different standard that you and I. I'm going to go out on a limb here an assume that you're opposed to Sinclair Broadcast Group airing a blatantly partisan campaign commercial days before the election. Sinclair represents (unfortunately) not even close to the bottom of the slippery slope that we start to descend when journalists decide to be partisans. What happens when corporations control the media like they do now, and decide "screw journalist integrity" and begin campaigning openly twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week? If you think people around here bitch and moan about conservative media bias now, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[NashVegas]

30. Journalists Don't Need to Be Neutral

But their reporting does.

[underpants]

12. YOUR JOB IS NOT YOUR LIFE

God just because someone employs you (and you make THEM money) doesn't mean they have any right to even suggest what you should do ON YOUR OWN TIME let alone ordering you to do or not do something.


Good God! :grr:

I understand why people FEAR losing their jobs though but this makes me very pissed off.

[progressivebydesign]

14. In less than 2 hours, the DUers can find HUNDREDS of examples...

..of "journalists" attending PARTISAN events!! Fuck that newspaper. How DARE they warn their employees NOT to attend an event? THey do have a valid grievance.

[BlueNomad]

18. Washington Post

reporters were told the same thing when he was here in DC--that it was partisan. I saw an article however the next day in style section...very odd.

[nolabels]

19. Fire your reporters for seeing

The irony is brilliant :D

[leesa]

22. Did the newspaper pay for their tickets? Did they do a report on it?

If not, then they need to get their nose out of their employees private lives. Fascists!

[Soopercali]

26. This was reasonable.

And as long as the policy is applied even-handedly across the board, I (a former reporter) have no problem with it. Under a typical ethics policy, it actually would have been okay for them to attend if the paper paid for the tickets and they were writing a review, because they would have been there representing the paper and treating it as a news event - NOT as a personal political expression.

These guys knew they weren't supposed to be there and went anyway. I don't blame them - it was a great show - but now they should take their medicine.

The entire purpose of such policies is to keep the impartiality of the paper above reproach. It may not always work, but it's a good start. When your personal political opinions interfere with your journalism job, it's time to either get a new job, or try to get hired as an opinion columnist instead.

[nolabels]

29. I suppose you wouldn't object to the government going accross..........

the globe using part of the money you paid in taxes to kill innocent people. Look they took the money squarely by the rule of law and it's up to them to what they feel is their options. Give me a break about the B.S. of papers being above reproach.

They don't have editorial pages just because they like playing square.

[arwalden]

28. Don't Buy Or Watch F-911 Either!

If we find out you've been listening to Al Franken... YOU'RE FIRED!

[drdtroit]

32. By the way, we understand you made a

LEFT turn on the way to work!