Re: Journalism Ethics

[Dib9@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/6/00 12:46:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Chuckigo writes:

<< you still did not answer my question:  when Rush Limbaugh (to be totally 
specific now) who is a talk show host AND commentator reports to his 
listeners items as FACTS, he is no longer a commentator.  he is now a 
journalist/reporter,  >>

Wow.  Even I wouldn't claim that Rush is a journalist.  I don't think even he 
would make that claim.  He's an entertainer or personality.  The rule has 
always been that Entertainers/personalities do ad, journalists do not.  
That's always been a rule of the profession.  You may not agree with it and 
the rule may not be followed like it used to be, but it used to be a rule.  
If what you say is for sale, it effects your objectivity of covering the 
news.  Disclosure is OK to a point, but if the newsperson is doing ads, how 
do you know when news ends and commercials begin?  (That's meant as 
rhetorical question.)

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine