Journalists' Political Activism: Putting On The Wrong Public Face

I disagree with the comments opposing typical rules against journalists participating in politics. I acknowledge that journalists have opinions and will inevitably be biased to some degree on issues, and as such, agree that there will be no such thing as truly "objective" reporting. However, I also believe that journalists' political acts have consequences beyond displaying their political opinions. Taking part in activism amounts to offering material support for political causes, and does not only show the journalists' support for them, but also their commitment to make their ideals reality, thus leading some to believe, not entirely without justification, that their reporting is intended to favor their cause.

Even if journalists claim to do their activism as individuals, they will inevitably be seen as representing their media organization. For example, if a newspaper has many reporters who participate in marches for right-wing causes, people will commonly assume that the paper hires such individuals more frequently, even if the paper has a "silent majority" of more liberal staff. The readers would thus likely doubt their motives behind publishing pieces that are good news for conservative causes, even if they are written by the less conservative writers. The paper may thus be blamed for letting these journalists do as they please, and giving the impression to their peers and the public that their actions are acceptable and in keeping with journalistic principles.

These conflicts of interest may not always reflect journalists being willing to use their positions to advance their causes, but like Mayhill Fowler's actions with Bittergate and Clinton, give every reason to believe their apparent motive and no indication of what they are truly intending to do. As long as the public believes that journalists are willing to put personal causes ahead of their commitment to journalism, they will never trust them fully. The Society of Professional Journalist thus advocates doing away with both real and imagined conflicts of interest, and to do so, journalists should completely refrain from political activism, both ones where the public would easily notice them and the ones where they would not. Journalists may not be completely objective, but they can be fair, and part of that lies in recognizing how their actions appear to the public and conducting themselves in a way that presents themselves as professional as they are.