Meet the New Boss, Lose Your Job

Matt Welch | October 19, 2004

The latest in zero-tolerance nonsense from The Fourth Estate:

The St. Paul Pioneer Press suspended two reporters for attending the recent "Vote for Change" political fundraising concert and now faces a union grievance.

Several newspapers around the country had asked staff members not to attend the series of concerts held in Minnesota and other "battleground" states earlier this month. That's because ticket sales benefited an affiliate of the liberal group MoveOn, which would compromise the politically neutral stance expected of journalists.

However, the Pioneer Press appears to be the only newspaper to suspend reporters for going.

"Well, maybe at other papers, people went along with what their bosses said," editor Vicki Gowler said Monday.

Link via Romenesko.

Comments

M1EK|10.19.04 @ 12:26PM|#

damn liberal media

|10.19.04 @ 1:11PM|#

so journalists can't give to any political-based organizations at all?

DaveInBigD|10.19.04 @ 1:11PM|#

They were just researching for background on this story...

http://theonion.com/news/index.php?issue=4040

Matt Welch|10.19.04 @ 1:37PM|#

andy -- Depends on the news organization, but generally, not to campaigns and political organizations, no. The SF Chronicle suspended its letters editor in July for donating $400 to Kerry (he and many other journalists have been "outed" by a Frisco activist at http://www.mpetrelis.blogspot.com/, which is a fun place to tool around). The NYT forbids its reporters from wearing campaign pins, or displaying lawn signs. And the Washington Post's executive editor would love it if none of his employees ever *thought about* who they'd vote for, let alone vote....

|10.19.04 @ 3:39PM|#

Sinclair Axes Journalist Critical of Film
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=3&u=/ap/kerry_film_reporter
... he would not participate in preparing the program about the film and that he objected to it being labeled news rather than commentary.


Any repubs fired for doing Bush things yet? Or is it just pro-demos getting in trouble?

|10.19.04 @ 8:09PM|#

There's a republican journalist? Where is the traitor?