sportschick said:
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
I heard SC saying that last night. 8)
Seriously, though, I agree with the above that covering someone you date is a big no-no.
Let me play Devil's advocate here, though. What if you were breaking big stories (we're talking big scoops, lots of good info, whatever) because of that connection? The main reason it would seem to be unethical is that it could (and probably would) cloud your judgment of the team you're covering. But what if dating someone on that team actually made you a
better reporter?
Also, hypothetically, what if you were dating someone you didn't cover, and later were assigned to that beat?
I would think if you told your editor you were dating Sally McSpikermeier of the volleyball team that he/she wouldn't assign you to that beat or move you off it.
How dating about someone you used to cover?
Someone you used to cover doesn't seem to be a problem (in fact, one of the AD's who used to work in my area was a former journo and wound up marrying a girl he used to cover when she was in HS after she moved back to town when she graduated college. They've been together something like 45 years). It seems a little weird, but I don't think there's anything unethical about it.