Does anyone at MG know what "ethics" means?

Found this on a blogger's site (a former investigative reporter who has a number of awards for her work) ... one of my former stops, but this even has me shaking my head, especially as the publisher tries to defend it ...

http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2011/03/sheriff-paid-news-reporters-cell-phone.html

Long-time Statesville Record & Landmark police reporter, Donna Swicegood, apparently for several years used a cell phone issued to her by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office and paid for by county taxpayers.

In a March 5 editorial reacting to Report/Mooresville Weekly questions, R&L Publisher Tim Dearman acknowledged that Swicegood – whose “beat” for 25 years has included county emergencies – was “handed” the phone by a county official “several years ago” but she returned it “a few months ago” because having it “could have been perceived as a conflict of interest."

The phone was issued through the Iredell County Sheriff's Office (ICSO). But the sheriff's chief deputy, Rick Dowdle, did not respond to Report questions about who specifically provided the phone and how long the county paid for it.

 

I assume that someone must know what ethics means if they reporter suddenly realized her having the phone could be a conflict of interest.

I wonder why she used the phone and if it was for more than just getting free cell service. If it was some deal where you were getting better access to the sheriff's office, I'd certainly be tempted to keep it if I could reimburse the cost of the cell service.

 

Better access? "Here's this special phone. Call me from it and I'll answer it."

 

The story says that by owning the cell phones, the sheriff's office restricts the records from public access, so maybe someone felt more comfortable calling if no one was the wiser. I don't know.