Any time money changes hands on a matter of public or political interest, we get suspicious—no less so when the media is involved then when a politician is the recipient. But transparency is the best way to address and soothe these suspicions. Readers deserve to know where the salon money comes from, and they deserve a full accounting of what sponsors are receiving in exchange for their support. As one commenter wrote at The Atlantic’s Web site, “I still like to know who is buying me my news and editorials, since I am apparently not paying for it myself.” “Trust us” isn’t good enough for the government. It shouldn’t be good enough for journalists, either.
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In many if not all enterpises, it seems, participants are supposed to avoid even the appearance of impropriety to avoid detracting from their profession. Attorneys and judges are not supposed to engage in conduct that appears unlawful--even if it's not. Military officers (at least when I was in the Navy) are not supposed to act in ways an officer and a gentlemen. For the Fourth Estate, the equivalent stricture appears to be to avoid the appearance of accepting money in exchange for access. It's the same reason travel writers occasionally have been chastised for accepting free or discounted transportation, room and board: The public believes that their news judgment is implicitly influenced to at least some degree. To what extent should publishers be held to the same standard as reporters? If The Washington Post's publisher wants to charge people and companies to meet at a resort or on a yacht without reporters being present, why not? The roles of publisher and reporter are different and, presumably, there is a Chinese wall--or Church-State divide--between the business and editorial sides of the enterprise. That wall, though, appears breached if, at a publisher's behest, journalists have to attend events such as sponsored salons. Also, even actions that call into question the strength of that wall can be viewed as improper. In putting together sponsored salons attended by journalists, The Post appears to me simply to have bridged the Church-State divide.
Posted by Jeff Bogart on Mon 13 Jul 2009 at 09:06 PM