Re: News Radio & Ethics

[Dib9@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/28/00 10:58:13 AM Eastern Standard Time, mamros@MIT.EDU 
writes:

<< >You'll note that Deb Lawler does all of the anchor reads on the
 >morning news -- G.L. doesn't do them. >>

When Al Diamon hosted a talk show on WGAN, he also refused to do live reads.  
Management didn't like it but he stuck to his guns.  He felt reading such ads 
could effect his objectivity on the show and he also figured he would be 
going back to journalism at some point and didn't want to be doing any 
commercials.

Of course, Mike Wallace was a well know pitch man in the 1950's including 
doing cigarette ads.  It hasn't had any effect on his journalism career.

How about local news anchors doing PSA's and fundraisers for local charities? 
 This is a common occurrence in Maine.  Doesn't this effect their objectivity 
in covering issues related to the charity?  Many of these organizations also 
get government money.  In many ways, a local charity is more likely to end up 
in the news than a business.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine