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Readers' Representative: Journalists must use caution in political involvement
On Feb. 21, The Kansas City Star published a short story about the one-day suspension of a staffer who was hired to play guitar at Kansas City Councilman Ed Ford’s 55th birthday celebration, which was also a political fundraiser.
That performance violated the newsroom Code of Ethics (available on the main page at KansasCity.com), which states that while staffers are encouraged to “exercise their franchise as citizens to discuss matters of public interest and to register and vote,” they should avoid any deeper involvement. That includes “active campaigning” like organizing petition drives or taking part in rallies or demonstrations.
Those limitations are common sense, I think. Readers obviously realize that journalists have beliefs and opinions about the topics they cover, but it’s crucial that reporters do everything they can to treat subjects as fairly and equitably as possible.
The guidelines can put journalists in tricky situations, particularly when spouses and close friends take part in political events that are largely social, like the cocktail party that’s also a candidate fundraiser.
Charity events are generally OK, though staffers have to be careful about associating themselves with actions or groups that become too partisan or lobby aggressively.
The Code of Ethics contains a lengthy passage detailing where participation in public events for not-for-profit charities is acceptable, with special attention to instances that involve commercial sponsors. But the code can’t cover every eventuality, and gray areas might require discussion with senior newsroom management to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
What, then, about that sometimes-confusing creature called a columnist? One e-mailer posed a truly great question about the Star journalist’s suspension:
“I assume this policy exists so that reporters can maintain the appearance of objectivity in their reporting of the news. Just curious: Do the same standards apply to columnists? As you have noted, columnists are free to be as opinionated as they wish. So, if a columnist showed up at a Democratic or Republican rally, would that result in a suspension? It is hard to see why a columnist would be suspended for attending the rally of a candidate he/she was endorsing in their column.”
This line of thinking is perfectly reasonable. After all, columnists clearly have leeway to support a wide variety of causes. What would be the difference between one writing a passionate column that clearly favors Candidate Q and leading an Elect-Candidate-Q rally?
In a word, independence. Columnists’ very purpose is to express provocative, opinionated thoughts — but they shouldn’t become part of the story.