MSNBC.com lists journalists who donated to politicians
Cory Bergman June 21st, 2007
In a sweeping investigative report, MSNBC.com’s Bill Dedman lists 144 journalists who have given money to politicians from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign. Of the list, 125 journalists gave to Democrats and only 17 gave to Republicans. Two journalists gave to both parties. Not only did Dedman list the 144 people, but he also contacted each of them for their reactions, which he also lists in full. The response from Alix Kendall, morning anchor at KMSP Fox Minneapolis, is a very interesting read. She first points out that she opposes the war, then:
“…I don’t think that working for a news organization I give up my rights. I interview plenty of people that I don’t agree with, but I also ask questions to get the other side. I think it’s actually an advantage — in a news organization we have people of many political views. We have healthy debates. I think it’s my civic duty to be involved in what matters to me. I think it’s ridiculous that anyone who’s sitting in front of a camera doesn’t have an opinion — come on, we all do….”
As many of you know, most news organizations prohibit this practice, especially given today’s credibility crisis with journalism — especially TV news. But what do you think? Of the investigation? The skew? And Kendall’s remarks?
(By the way, look at the response from Gideon Yago, formerly with MTV News.)
6 Comments Add your own
1. Safran | June 21st, 2007 at 1:07 pm
They get paid enough to donate money?
2. Jonathan | June 21st, 2007 at 6:08 pm
“As many of you know, most news organizations prohibit this practice, especially given today’s credibility crisis with journalism — especially TV news.”
Of all the challenges to TV news’s credibility, shouldn’t campaign contributions be near the bottom?
3. News Consumer | June 21st, 2007 at 6:29 pm
The goal of an organization should be report the news as fairly and objectively as possible. We all have our internal frames of reference and experiences that affect how we see things. Would we feel comfortable if 87% of reporters were white males? or asian females, or they all had philosophy degrees from Harvard? Any news organization with such a heavy concentration should take a hard look at how it views the information it collects and disseminates.
4. John | June 22nd, 2007 at 10:31 am
Rights and ethics are not the same thing. Ms. Kendall is correct in that she does not give up her rights by working in news, but she should have learned in journalism school to abide by a certain code of ethics, and sometimes that code means you have to skip out on what your neighbors might do.
It’s ironic that when I tried to start a line of sportswear when I lived in Cincinnati 10 years ago, I sent out press kits to local media. The business reporter at the local daily returned my package of a hat and shirt and perhaps a weak attempt at a humorous press release, telling me about payola and so forth.
But at the local morning show down the road, Ms. Kendall was nice enough to graciously accept my package and her producer sent a reporter out to interview me for a story about the sportswear. I wish I could get in a cheap plug here, but the sportswear died long ago!
5. Bill | June 23rd, 2007 at 8:20 am
The reporter from Omaha, Calvert Collins, whose picture is displayed with a Congressman in the article has been fired according to a reliable media blog in Omaha. Also a political cartoonist from the Lincoln newsaper named in the MSNBC investigation has also been let go.
6. Dan | June 23rd, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Credibility from local newscasters in not what the public cares about. They want you to help them solve their everyday problems, not just gab on about crap that they already read on line. If local reporters and news organizations can’t find why it takes a person an hour and a half to drive 10 miles to work and how to get this problem turned around, or why their
property taxes are sky high yet the local government
wants a tax increase, and can’t tell you why their city
water has lead in it, then what the heck do they need you for? The weather?
If you guys don’t start actually reporting on something,
and not following police and fire trucks around town,
you are going to go down, and go down big.
Splashy graphics and music will not save you.
Dan
Leave a Comment
(Please keep URLs out of the comment body or the spam filter will block you.)Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed