Letters to the Editor
Scientician
Published Letters: 525 Editor's Choice: 1
-
Prox:
[Read the article: "The guys from the Politico brought my mom flowers"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Ehh.. Look, you are holding up journalism to a standard it has never uniformly adhered to
Others have addressed other parts of your reply, but I'll add for this one.
I agree there is no agreed single set of journalistic standards.
However, let's do some research. The Society of Professional Journalists:
http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
Journalists should:
—Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
— Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, [...] if they compromise journalistic integrity.
The CBC's code of ethics:
http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/accountability/journalistic/credibility.shtml
Credibility is dependent not only on qualities such as accuracy and fairness in reporting and presentation, but also upon avoidance by both the organization and its journalists of associations or contacts which could reasonably give rise to perceptions of partiality. Any situation which could cause reasonable apprehension that a journalist or the organization is biased or under the influence of any pressure group, whether ideological, political, financial, social or cultural, must be avoided.
(emphasis added)
NPR:
http://www.npr.org/about/ethics/#conflicts
1. NPR journalists may not accept compensation, including property or benefits of any kind, from people or institutions they cover or put on the air. NPR journalists may accept gifts of token value (hats, mugs, t-shirts, etc.). Unsolicited items of significant value will be returned with a letter thanking the sender but stating our policy on gifts. NPR journalists pick up the check for themselves when they can (i.e., they are not wined and dined by sources). NPR journalists pay for their own travel in accordance with NPR's travel policy.
I'm going to leave off there by saying this violates just about every published code of ethics operating in Journalism today.
If you disagree, find me a code that would be okay with this stuff.
-
found another
[Read the article: "The guys from the Politico brought my mom flowers"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The New York Times:
Paying Our Own Way
30. When we as journalists entertain news sources (including government officials) or travel to cover them, our company pays the expenses. In some business situations and in some cultures, it may be unavoidable to accept a meal or a drink paid for by a news source (for example, at an official's residence or in a company's private dining room). Whenever practical, however, we should avoid those circumstances and suggest dining where we can pay our share (or, better, meeting in a setting that does not include a meal). Routine refreshments at an event like a news conference are acceptable, but a staff member should not attend recurring breakfast or lunch meetings unless our company pays for the journalist's meals. Whether the setting is an exclusive club or a service lodge's weekly luncheon, we should pay our way.
More
A3. Protecting Our Neutrality
35. Staff members and those on assignment for us may not accept anything that could be construed as a payment for favorable coverage or for avoiding unfavorable coverage. They may not accept gifts, tickets, discounts, reimbursements or other benefits from individuals or organizations covered (or likely to be covered) by their newsroom. Gifts should be returned with a polite explanation; perishable gifts may instead be given to charity, also with a note to the donor. In either case the objective of the note is, in all politeness, to discourage future gifts.
http://www.nytco.com/company-properties-times-coe.html
Also note, I didn't read these codes comprehensively, so there may be other sections which also make the McCain payola luncheon a broach of ethical standards.
-
Reiterating
[Read the article: Who cares if Eliot Spitzer hires prostitutes?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]My point is that because prostitution is illegal, my concern is that this puts Spitzer at the blackmail mercy of the prostitute, the booker and the brothel owner who is quite likely connected to other underworld figures.
For all we know, the Feds got wind of this because some ordinary mobster they were busting named Spitzer as part of a deal.
This also distinguishes the illegality from things like speeding tickets or having anal sex in texas pre-Lawrence. Those things might be or have been illegal, but they don't put the office holder committing those acts at risk for blackmail and in a conflict of interest with his or her public duties.
I mean if a bill came to Spitzer's desk that would adversely affect the interests of a brothel he had visited, would he sign it? He'd have incentive not to anyway.
-
Aycharaych:
[Read the article: Who cares if Eliot Spitzer hires prostitutes?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not that anyone is likely to pay me for sex, I closely resemble Homer Simpson these days and I was never what you would call attractive.
Ron Jeremy managed it. Though I don't watch a great deal of porn, I have read that nowadays they do attempt to find better looking men when possible, but actually men who can have sex in front of dozens of people are actually not that common.
-
Prox:
[Read the article: "The guys from the Politico brought my mom flowers"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]They accepted a night in a posh hotel.
Also, the Politico guys bought flowers for Cindy McCain who will almost certainly be a subject of their coverage at some point in the future. She's also McCain's wife and a possible future first lady.
To the rest you are construing this too narrowly. Reread the language and there is a lot of very wide phrasing "create the impression of" "could be construed as" and so on. The journalistic standards clearly encompass this.
It's not like they attended a BBQ for a bunch of Republicans that McCain hosted and happened to have a beer and a hot dog while covering the event because no other food is available. They were the event.
I'm pretty sure there is an old journalistic saw to the effect of "Don't ever become the story."