"... reporters do an important public service ..." and to maintain their objectiveness they must "... abstain from political campaigning activities ..."

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Why reporters abstain from the political process
By Anna Staver, May 1, 2014

A man's question at a Marion County GOP meeting caught me off guard earlier this month, and it's been rolling around in my head ever since.

While waiting on vote tallies for county commissioner nominees, several people weaved their way through the crowd gathering signatures to put issues on the November ballot.

I declined to sign all of them, saying I was a reporter.

One signature gatherer paused and said, "But you're also a human being."

I countered by saying it's company policy that reporters abstain from political campaigning activities like signing petitions, canvassing, placing signs in our yards or bumper stickers on our cars.

A man sitting in the metal folding chair in front of me turned, leaned over and asked whether I was OK with my employer taking my right to free speech.

I'll admit my explanation was convoluted and rambling. The prohibition on political activity for a political reporter was drilled into me from my first journalism school class.

It's just not appropriate.

I don't think that's a satisfactory answer, so hopefully here is a clearer, better reasoned response.

Even if the Statesman Journal had no policy about my participation in the electoral process, my personal moral compass tells me it's wrong.

Why?

Because being a political reporter means I trade parts of my right to free speech for access.

For example: If I have a question about a proposed law on medical marijuana, I'll sit down with the lawmakers, bill writers and experts until I figure out what it does and what it means for you.

I'll call far flung counties and cities in Oregon to see how they are dealing with dispensaries and ask legal experts and political thinkers what that says about our state.

Most people don't have that time in their day-to-day lives, but I hope they can carve out a few moments each day to read articles on the issues they care about.

I believe that makes what I and my fellow reporters do an important public service, and it's a responsibility I don't take lightly.

If I was fund raising for the ballot initiative to allow businesses owners to decline wedding services to same-sex couples, I could imagine Oregon United for Marriage declining to talk to me due to concerns about my ability to be objective.

Do I have an opinion on same-sex unions, marijuana, PERS reform and the Columbia River Crossing?

Yes.

It would be disingenuous of me to say that I sit in marathon meetings, spend hours poring over documents and interview subjects only to find myself personally undecided.

My hope is that those biases don't worm their way into my writing, but I'm sure some of you think they do.

I've been called a "dirty liberal," a "right-wing corporate shill" and a number of other names that aren't suitable for print.

Do I always perfectly correct for my bias? No.

Do I try my best? Yes.

Could you do any better? Maybe.

The point is that I intentionally keep that part of my life hidden in the hopes that over time my sources and you trust me to be tough but fair, and I don't think we could get there if they knew where I stood at the outset.

So, here's my promise: You let me slide on signing your petition, and I will do my best to make sure the public knows about your cause and that your side gets a fair shake.

Deal?
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