Izzy Keller
ik926119@ohio.edu
Many careers have instances where someone may run into a conflict of interest - medicine, law, politics, and, of course, journalism. Some of the most important and consequential stories in journalism focus on local, statewide, national and international politics. Many stories focus on politicians, people running administrative agencies, cabinet officials, and people who make decisions that affect millions' lives. It is not uncommon for journalists covering these essential issues to have close familial relationships with people central to the stories.
When a conflict of interest occurs, publications do address these conflicts. For example, The Washington Post article "Media, administration deal with conflicts" by Paul Farhi talks about how different well-known and respected publications handled potential conflicts of interest. The article cites ABC, CBS News, NPR, and even The Washington Post spokespeople. All spokespeople mentioned said that the reporter's relationship to this public figure did not impact reporting.
Unfortunately, journalists cannot control who they are related to, who they marry, and what those people do. However, journalists can control their actions and report, given personal relationships. An example of what not to do is the recent case of the Cuomos.
CNN Host Chris Cuomo faced widespread criticism for handling sexual misconduct allegations regarding his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Last year, then-Governor Cuomo had women, many former staffers, accusing him of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Initially, Chris Cuomo said that he was a support for his brother, someone he could talk to. Later, it turned out that this was not true. Instead, Cuomo had used his network of journalists to assist his brother. In the article "Chris Cuomo Played Outsize Role in Ex-Gov. Cuomo's Defense" from The New York Times, the reporters describe how Cuomo used his contacts to help his brother and attempted to help with his brother's "prep."
According to The New York Times, Chris Cuomo was fired from CNN, facing sexual misconduct allegations of his own. Chris Cuomo messed up very clearly and violated SPJ's Code of Ethics, specifically under the Act Independently principle. What could Chris Cuomo have done differently? He could have taken a step back from his show while he helped his brother. He, also, could not have gotten involved in his brother's affairs.
Fro alternatives to Chris Cuomo's decision to stay and continue reporting during this turmoil, look no further than the article mentioned above from The Washington Post. Farhi gives examples of journalists who stepped down from reporting due to their spouse's job in politics. One of the examples Farhi gives is Connie Schultz. Schultz is a Pulitzer-winning columnist and author who wrote for The Plain Dealer. According to Farhi, Schultz took a leave of absence during her husband's, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, first run for Senate in 2008. Schultz left The Plain Dealer in 2011, during Brown's second Senate run.
All journalists I know are passionate about their job, and it is hard not to be. However, not every journalist is willing to quit their job when facing a conflict of interest, and some cannot even afford to consider it. The weight of making these decisions is complex and deeply personal, yet it is crucial for unbiased, good reporting. .
Sources:
Image from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spanish-cartoons-world-press-freedom-day_n_5727a961e4b0b49df6abf638
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/business/media/chris-cuomo-fired-cnn.html
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