Conflicted Over Conflicts of Interest

Steve Scott is all conflicted again. Steve is News Director at WLS Radio in Chicago and president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association. He also has a blog.

One of the themes that pops up on Steve's site from time to time concerns his own journalistic purity in a business (radio) that often demands compromises. I'm not making fun here, I actually admire his efforts to avoid situations he sees as potentially compromising his professional integrity.

There was a time in radio broadcasting when the news folks did news, absent any opinion, and that was that. Today that is nearly unheard of. Radio news reporters now often join in morning show banter or, as is the case at Springfield's WMAY, have their own talk shows full of opinion.

Anyway, Steve has had several posts on his blog where he is reluctant to offer an opinion on things because he doesn't want to be seen as taking sides on an issue he may be reporting on. Yesterday, he posted about another kind of conflict -being the news and not covering it.

Apparently, he has been asked to help in a station promotion that could get other media coverage:

The bosses at WLS asked me to attend...and say a few words about how pleased we are to participate in this promotion.

Now, this is an event that may (or may not) generate some local news coverage. It would actually make a nice little TV or radio story. Newspeople don't like to be on "that side" of the story. We're not used to it. It makes us a bit uneasy. After all, purists would say...what if that newsperson has to report a story critical of that same supermarket chain next week? Could he possibly be fair and objective...after sitting on the stage and speaking in support of that promotion?

Well, yeah...he can.

The bosses gave me every opportunity to say no. They said they would understand if I - as a newsperson - chose not to "represent" (I don't know why I keep putting that in quotes!) the station at an event where there may be news coverage.

In the end, I said I would be happy to do it.

Well good for him, I think he's made a breakthrough. It's for a good cause (go read the post) and no one is going to question his journalistic credentials in this day and age.