Re: Journalism Ethics

["Kevin Vahey" <kvahey@mediaone.net>]

In cases like this the line is fuzzy at best

Should a newsperson be a "pitchperson" on their own station?  Since the
product being sold was produced by the station.....I can live with that.

Now when you have a CBS newsperson serving as the host of Big
Brother......then I see the line has been crossed.

Should the talent be paid extra because of tape sales? Since one can assume
the tape editors and other techs were not, then why should the talent be any
different?



----- Original Message -----
From: <Dib9@aol.com>
To: <Chuckigo@aol.com>; <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2000 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: Journalism Ethics


> In a message dated 8/6/00 8:59:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Chuckigo
writes:
>
> << when a "commentator" slips on the mantle of news reporter/journalist,
does
> he or she lose credibility when they report the facts? >>
>
> A commentator is paid for his or her opinion.  A journalist is supposedly
> objectively reporting the facts.  When someone paid to provide opinions
also
> does ads, I do not see a conflict.  When someone who is supposed to be a
> reporter uses some of their credibility for commercial purposes, I do see
a
> problem.
>
> As a capitalist, I do not have any problem with what Doug and Kim or
anyone
> else is paid.  You mentioned that some news people resent the $75 talent
fee
> that a jock may pick up for doing and ad.  I was just pointing out that I
> don't think that is the case here.
>
> As for the sale of these tapes: I have no objection to a station selling
such
> a tape.  I only disagree with a person who brings us the news trying to
use
> their credibility as a journalist to get viewers to buy the tape.  I also
> have no objection to talent being compensated for their role in such
> productions, though I agree with Chuck that in the case of the Op Sail
tape,
> the talent is not getting paid anything more.
>
> As for Chuck's comparisons to other professions, that's my point!  It used
to
> be that there was a hard and fast rule that journalists do not do ads.
> Journalists used to look down on Mike Wallace because he did ads before he
> was a journalist.  Now it's OK for the anchor of the 6PM News to do ads?
>
> -- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine