Ethical Question: Should journalists show solidarity or show restraint?

[SoloFlyer]

#BlackoutTuesday is trending worldwide. Pro sports organizations, entertainment figures, large corporations, and more are all taking part in either raising awareness of racial injustice, donating to causes, or amplifying black voices.

What about individual journalists? We're taught to avoid voicing support for causes and candidates because of ethical concerns, an understandable position.

But are civil rights a different topic? I know much of the discussion around race has been made political, but at its core, is showing solidarity crossing an ethical line for journalists? Does it display bias? Or does staying silent risk alienating members of our communities?

 

[User 150927]

If you're a full-time employee, I think you have to follow whatever guidelines your employer has structured for your online presence. If you have personal account did you use with a different name then I think that's fair game to express your own views

 

[Liut]

I don't state political or societal opinions online other than here (and rarely do that). Personal preference.

Full disclosure … I'm in the middle of selling a book (sports). Doesn't make sense to **** off potential buyers.

 

[swingline]

Republicans buy sneakers, too.

 

[Rhody31]

I didn't partake in the blackout, but I didn't use my Twitter feed the way I usually do. Just kept it to stories I wrote and news I wanted to promote.

 

[Liut]

Republicans buy sneakers, too.

I'm not selling shoes. But thank you for making me think of Ed O'Neill.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

I don't state political or societal opinions online other than here (and rarely do that). Personal preference.

Full disclosure … I'm in the middle of selling a book (sports). Doesn't make sense to **** off potential buyers.

If it is a tell-all about the St. Louis Blues under the Harry Ornest ownership, I will pay any price for it.

 

[Liut]

If it is a tell-all about the St. Louis Blues under the Harry Ornest ownership, I will pay any price for it.

You may or may not know me, but you've got the sport right.

Grab a copy of Bernie Federko and Jeremy Rutherford's "My Blues Note." Awesome read. It includes some Ornest stuff. Federko is pretty blunt. The worst part is the unfortunate end of his friendship with Brian Sutter. As they get older, my hope is those two men reconcile.

 

[Col. Nathan R. Jessup]

I think this is one issue where the journalist -- and not his or her company -- should make the decision of what is or isn't ethical. If you want to speak out, good. If not, that's fine, too. You don't want to be the publisher that reprimands a reporter because they tweeted in support of civil rights.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

You may or may not know me, but you've got the sport right.

Grab a copy of Bernie Federko and Jeremy Rutherford's "My Blues Note." Awesome read. It includes some Ornest stuff. Federko is pretty blunt. The worst part is the unfortunate end of his friendship with Brian Sutter. As they get older, my hope is those two men will reconcile.

I've worked with Jeremy in prior stops, and read that book as soon as it came out. Loved it.

Had an interview with Federko about 13 months ago, and when we were having off the record small talk, I mentioned the book and the Sutter stuff in it.

I wish I hadn't brought it up. He was cool, but you could tell it really is still painful to him.

 

[Liut]

I think this is one issue where the journalist -- and not his or her company -- should make the decision of what is or isn't ethical. If you want to speak out, good. If not, that's fine, too. You don't want to be the publisher that reprimands a reporter because they tweeted in support of civil rights.

Maybe I'm dumb, but not sure what you mean by the last sentence.

As you continue to research and write your book, I humbly suggest you stay away from provocative social-media posts. Unless maybe it involves race within sports. Mine didn't go anywhere near that.

As I, and others, have stated on the other thread, wish you all the best on your book.

 

[Liut]

I've worked with Jeremy in prior stops, and read that book as soon as it came out. Loved it.

Had an interview with Federko about 13 months ago, and when we were having off the record small talk, I mentioned the book and the Sutter stuff in it.

I wish I hadn't brought it up. He was cool, but you could tell it really is still painful to him.

Thanks for insight. I suppose it will be Bernie that has to make the first gesture. Brian's in Alberta raising cattle. If you haven't already seen the gallery ... I think it was a Toronto Star reporter who traveled to Alberta and took a bunch of pictures of Sutter out with his cattle. Reminds me so much of my family who are, still to this day, farmers.

In the end, those two men will always be tied at the hip and it sure would be nice if the hatchet is buried before one of them dies.

 

[Col. Nathan R. Jessup]

Maybe I'm dumb, but not sure what you mean by the last sentence.

What I mean is that most daily newspapers probably have at least one reporter who's publicly shown solidarity with the current civil rights moment, either by way of tweeting #BlackLivesMatter or participating in the Instagram blackout or even sharing a personal anecdote about racism. Now, how many of those reporters were told to stop or tone it down? My guess is very few.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I don't do politics on social media at all. I've got a blue checked twitter account tied to my job, and just choose to totally avoid politics on FB and Instagram.

Having said that... I don't believe that affirming the basic human dignity and rights of black people is political.

I don't go in for the "why do you refuse to wear the ribbon?" performative social media "activism" like the blackout, but I sure as hell wouldn't hesitate out of fear that I might offend some racist.

 

[SoloFlyer]

I don't do politics on social media at all. I've got a blue checked twitter account tied to my job, and just choose to totally avoid politics on FB and Instagram.

Having said that... I don't believe that affirming the basic human dignity and rights of black people is political.

I don't go in for the "why do you refuse to wear the ribbon?" performative social media "activism" like the blackout, but I sure as hell wouldn't hesitate out of fear that I might offend some racist.

Given the number of people of color sports journalists in particular interact with, I think it's an especially thin tightrope to walk.

On the one hand, it should be a no-brainer. Equality and civil rights shouldn't need to be debated.

Yet somehow, here we are, where voicing an objection to black people dying at the hands of police officers is deemed a political statement.

And that's the other side of the coin, voicing an opinion about a perceived political issue while working as a journalist. Personally, I think editors and corporations are getting too restrictive. No reporter should endorse a candidate. No reporter should impugn a candidate they dislike.

But if a politician does something heinous, or if someone's civil rights are being violated, or if the first amendment is under attack, journalists should be allowed to comment, even if it involves their beat. Yet the social media policies in many companies frown on that, leaving many of us caught in-between.

 

[Fredrick]

You don't want to be the publisher that reprimands a reporter because they tweeted in support of civil rights.

That's a very perceptive point. Do that and the newspaper building will likely be set on fire if anybody hears about it. Still ... cmon just because this is civil rights doesn't mean you give up the J card. Journalism means not taking sides of ANY KIND. Of course TV journalism? I don't watch much and tonight I was just amazed at Cuomo telling everybody the way it is and how they should think about all the riots, etc. I am shocked at how news anchors (and this was a "breaking news" show on riots) just tell millions of people how they ought to be feeling about all this. Yes he was making so many excuses for the looters, suggesting they are good people. Cmon. throw a brick through a window and steal TVs ... you are not a good person.

 

[Vombatus]

It’s one thing to take a stance / support via social media.

But as I was watching some of these reporters and camera crews out in the field and suddenly seeing some of the crowd turn on them - holy ****, I’d be okay with whatever the hell they say for their own safety to either simmer things down or extricate themselves. Scary.

 

[Azrael]

I think a journalist can and should promote fairness and disinterest. I think telling these communities we'll go where the story takes us, whatever the risk, is advocacy of good journalism.

But too often that isn't true. We don't routinely tell these stories. Especially when the racism is institutional. "Systemic," as is now the fashion. Nor, as Alma points out, do we routinely tell the story of poor white folks very well. Which is one of the reasons we wind up with a society teetering ever on the brink of violence.

And the performative bull****, as PCLL says, is just that, bull****.

But the violence being directed at the press is unacceptable - especially when it's being done by the cops. That's a bad old habit of the establishment, all the way back to Haymarket and beyond, stoked lately and directly and avidly by this particular president, and we need to call it - and him - out for it.

Violence directed at the press by agitators left or right is likewise an old refrain. Fear of being identified. That's why they wear masks. Also not acceptable.

Journalists are citizens, and need to engage their country and their culture as such. But they need to see all of it fairly first, and without blinders.

 

[Pilot]

I work for an Southern-based national trade magazine for a trade mostly filled with conservatives, and with mostly conservative co-workers. And I have a young daughter and a new house we can only afford because of my salary and only barely at that.

I’m going to be keeping my mouth shut on social media with regard to anything remotely political. I’ll show my support here, a place I’m vaguely anonymous, especially to newcomers, and a place those coworkers and readers don’t know exists anyway, in conversation and debate with friends and family, and, in the only significant way, at the ballot box.

 

[Alma]

Whether or not I think you should, a lot of journalists can probably get away with it. Speaking out against abortion? No. You’d most likely get fired for stumping for that unless you worked at a handful of news organizations. A writer at The Athletic, clearly, can express some poitical opinions, but not others. The same, for many years, was obviously true at ESPN as well.