Herald Media Partners

It would be nothing short of astounding for a professional journalist to assume that entering a political campaign would be acceptable, ethical conduct, even in industries where some media organisations declare and promote bias. The principle of impartiality and neutrality – the most basic requirement of a professional journalist would be breached. The principle of neutrality is a commonsense ethical principle that need not be codified; it is part of the toolkit that a professional journalist brings to the job. Just as you need not have a published code of ethics to fire a plagiarizing or lying writer, you need not spell out the long-established ethical principle that journalists avoid conflicts of interest. Reporting on the news of the day involves reporting on the government and those who seek public office. Politics requires persuasive communication on the part of a candidate; how is the voter to choose wisely if he or she cannot be sure that the journalist seeking office or promoti...