Ethics of a news anchor working as a Sheriff's spokeswoman

[john_galt]

I can't believe this is actually happening.
**************************************************
Channel 7 anchor also works for sheriff's office

The recently hired spokeswoman for the Ada County Sheriff's Office is simultaneously working weekends as a Channel 7 news anchor, raising ethical questions about her dual role.
Andrea Dearden has worked as the community information specialist for the sheriff's office since Dec. 11 and is still a part-time anchor at KTVB News.

Dearden is listed as a crime reporter on Channel 7's Web site. However, KTVB News Group President and General Manager Doug Armstrong said Dearden is no longer reporting and is just "reading the news on the weekends" and does not write or produce stories.

He said Dearden stopped working as a full-time reporter in late November and that he sees no conflict of interest between her working for the Sheriff's Office and a news organization that reports on the office. Armstrong said Dearden would not read any stories dealing with the Sheriff's Office, though Armstrong said that situation has not come up since Dearden took the Sheriff's Office job.

"You can't confuse reading the news with being a reporter," he said.

The situation sounds like a clear conflict of interest, said Dr. Rebecca Tallent, an associate professor of journalism at the University of Idaho. Tallent, who helped draft the code of ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists, said viewers are likely to be confused by Dearden both presenting the news and speaking for a public organization.

"It seems really downright odd to me that the TV station would keep her on air," Tallent said.

One section of the society's code of ethics is that journalists "Act Independently." Journalists should, according to the code of ethics, "avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived," and to "remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility."

In addition to the society's code, many news media corporations have established their own codes.

Dearden said she applied for the $55,000 per year job in mid to late October and she will be leaving KTVB in the next few weeks.

"I wouldn't have been hired by the sheriff's office if they didn't trust my ethics," she said.

Sheriff Gary Raney said his office has rules about secondary employment and conflicts of interest. For example, a deputy could not work a second job as a bouncer at a bar or for a bounty hunter or a bail bondsman. But in Dearden's case, Raney said there is no conflict and that he trusts her not to give special treatment to any news organization.

"I have no concerns," he said.

Raney also says that Dearden's role is much more than just dealing with the media, in that she spends more time fielding inquiries from the public.

"Her job is making a better connection between the Ada County Sheriff's Office and the community, and the media is only a small part of that," Raney said.

[ January 22, 2007, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: john_galt ]

[News Is Broken]

Dearden said she applied for the $55,000 per year job in mid to late October and she will be leaving KTVB in the next few weeks.

:rolleyes: Move along citizens. Nothing to see here.

[CleanBreeze]

Sounds fishy to me.

[Diplomat]

It's an obvious conflict. These conflicts are nothing new, however.

[2:30]

They may be "nothing new" but they're wrong whenever they occur. If the ND doesn't get it, he's wrong too.

[Focker]

Originally posted by john_galt:
"You can't confuse reading the news with being a reporter," he said.So according to this ND, reporters are more important, nay, more of a journalist, than anchors.

Hmmmm...

[ January 22, 2007, 03:05 PM: Message edited by: Focker ]

[newsgal2]

in my market, there are a few reporters who are on a witness list for a trial -- and they're covering the trial. i think that's unethical too -- but a lot of people don't think so...

[NewsWench]

When I was in J-school and taking ethics courses we had to repeatedly answer to the "Canon of Ethics" set down by the Society of Professional Journalists.

The difference between a "profession" and a "trade" or "skill" is the canon of ethics that you must abide by.

As I grew older and visited more than 200 news stations throughout the world (not as a journalist) I realized that most TV/Radio or Communications students/workers in the newsrooms had never heard of, much less had to write papers and dissertations on, or adhere to the ethics that were supposed to guide their "profession."

Is this person in question in a "conflict of interest?"

NO DOUBT.

I can't decide who has more to gain from this parasitic relationship... but, be sure that's it's not kosher.

And the more we, as journalists, allow this crap to happen without speaking our voices, the more the general public will come to blur the line between news and "public information" released by the local constabulary.

News? P.R.? What's the diff? Ugh!?

[The Mockingbird]

At Nexstar stations, the anchors will also make you your sub sandwich exactly like you want it during commercial breaks.

[Roy Hobbs]

At Sinclair the GM will offer you Ritz and some Cheese Whiz.

[adam & doctor drew]

Originally posted by john_galt:

"You can't confuse reading the news with being a reporter," he said.
Truer words were never spoken.

[ January 23, 2007, 01:02 AM: Message edited by: adam & doctor drew ]

[Another side]

Originally posted by john_galt:

Sheriff Gary Raney said his office has rules about secondary employment and conflicts of interest. For example, a deputy could not work a second job as a bouncer at a bar or for a bounty hunter or a bail bondsman.Hey! Cops make great bounty hunters ... we use them all the time.

[WalMartNation]

If she took this job for 55k, it's a helluva lot more than she got anchoring in that market. And if she's leaving soon, this particular argument will end soon. The GM or ND shouldn't have her in the newsroom at all after she started her new job, but he's probably trying to milk it through Feb. book. Funny too how Belo stations claim to exercise the highest ethics in journalism..

Also, that shop takes what seems like decades to make hires, they had a sports job open in August and I think it was just recently filled... It isn't like Boise didn't have a big sports story this football season.

[rootboyslim]

I remember my first job in radio the ND hired the local spokesperson for the hospital. No one even thought for a second it was a conflict. As a 21-year-old out of college punk, even I could see that.

[Diplomat]

In addition to being an anchor and Sheriff's department spokeswoman, she's also a justice of the peace. :D

[Another side]

Originally posted by NewsWench:
When I was in J-school and taking ethics courses we had to repeatedly answer to the "Canon of Ethics" set down by the Society of Professional Journalists.

The difference between a "profession" and a "trade" or "skill" is the canon of ethics that you must abide by.

As I grew older and visited more than 200 news stations throughout the world (not as a journalist) I realized that most TV/Radio or Communications students/workers in the newsrooms had never heard of, much less had to write papers and dissertations on, or adhere to the ethics that were supposed to guide their "profession."That's because there is no accepted, universal Canon of Ethics for journalists, despite your SPJ attachment. Most journalists I know and have known, were not part of it. It's a college thing, nothing more.

[The Mockingbird]

Interesting, I had no idea that universal consensus was required to have ethics.

[Sir Dropham Pants]

Originally posted by newsgal2:
in my market, there are a few reporters who are on a witness list for a trial -- and they're covering the trial. i think that's unethical too -- but a lot of people don't think so...They're wrong you're right.

[Ferrycrossthemersey]

Can't believe we are even talking about this. This situation is wrong on SO many levels. And you don't need any "special" ethics to get this; just your everyday, ordinary ethics will do just fine...

[Clever Login Name]

Originally posted by newsgal2:
in my market, there are a few reporters who are on a witness list for a trial -- and they're covering the trial. i think that's unethical too -- but a lot of people don't think so...Unethical and difficult to do, especially if they separate the witnesses at the beginning and you sit in a little room twiddling your thumbs for a day or two. How short-handed are you guys that you can't have someone else cover the trial?

[jrat33]

Maybe if cheap station owners would pay their employees a decent wage, they wouldn't have to find another job to supplement their income so they can EAT!

[The Mockingbird]

Interesting, Andrea Deardon isn't listed on the KTVB website. I found her bio only in Google Cache, and not in the direct ink.

Are we sure this wasn't just a career move coupled with management being pains in the asses about the last few weeks of a contract?

[Fake Post]

In the past I have worked with anchors where were married to college/pro coaches in their market. If they read the sports on the weekends, does that mean that they could not be objective when "reading?"

Same with anchors/reporters who dated cops. What I have always found was that if there was a problem that would make them look involved, they would distance themselves from the story and ask that another reporter/anchor be assigned.

[ZuZu's Petals]

Two thoughts here:

clearly, she wasn't making that kind of money at the TV Station

and

even if they (Cop shop and ND) don't see a direct conflict of interest... they should be working toward avoiding the APPEARANCE of a conflict of interest. Sheesh!

and then...
Originally posted by newsgal2:
in my market, there are a few reporters who are on a witness list for a trial -- and they're covering the trial. i think that's unethical too -- but a lot of people don't think so...Um, yeah. That's wrong.
Would they still be covering it if they were serving on the jury? come on folks.. use some sense!

[Michigan J. Frog]

Originally posted by jrat33:
Maybe if cheap station owners would pay their employees a decent wage, they wouldn't have to find another job to supplement their income so they can EAT!Maybe if people would stop taking those jobs, knowing what they pay, they wouldn't have to find another job to supplement their income.

[Michigan J. Frog]

Originally posted by jrat33:
Maybe if cheap station owners would pay their employees a decent wage, they wouldn't have to find another job to supplement their income so they can EAT!Maybe if people would stop taking those jobs, knowing what they pay, they wouldn't have to find another job to supplement their income.

[Focker]

Or, if there wouldn't be so many "just-out-of-school people who are willing to work for peanuts just to be on TV", then maybe stations would pay more.

[Focker]

Originally posted by Fake Post:
Same with anchors/reporters who dated cops. What I have always found was that if there was a problem that would make them look involved, they would distance themselves from the story and ask that another reporter/anchor be assigned.Now, I'm sure there's reporters/anchors who are actually dating cops because they truly have feelings for them, but I know a few who do it because they get the inside scoop...

[Ineedajob]

The sad thing is, KTVB is Boise's No. 1 station, by a landslide. They pay the most in the market (which may look small, but actually plays much larger) and they don't hire straight-out-of-college talent. That's why this decision is kind of baffling.

[Tripe Face]

Originally posted by newsgal2:
in my market, there are a few reporters who are on a witness list for a trial -- and they're covering the trial. i think that's unethical too -- but a lot of people don't think so...Aside from the ethics of the matter, HOW do they cover it? In most trials, potential witnesses are forced to stay OUT of the courtroom until they are called, so their testimony isn't swayed by others. What do they do when it comes to actually reporting what happened?

[NewsWench]

Google "journalism and canon of ethics" and you'll find that it's neither an SPJ "thing" or a college "thing".
It's what is supposed to differentiate or work as a "profession" as opposed to a "trade" or "skill".
Perhaps not a concern for this generation but... then again, this generation of journalists is not exactly looked upon in the same light as those who's shoulder's we stand upon.