Poynter on the Record

The New York Times ethics handbook states that, "journalists have no place on the playing field of politics." But where do journalists draw the line between their voting rights as citizens and their professional duties? It is, perhaps, not the most fervent debate occurring in modern newsrooms, but it warrants attention in the aftermath of a highly visible race to get Independent candidates on the Texas gubernatorial ballot. On Nov. 7, general election day, Texans will go to the polls to decide the fate of Governor Rick Perry. But in the decision whether or not Independent candidates will populate his field of challengers, most of our journalists were left out.

Texas reporters found themselves with fewer choices during primary season than the rest of the voting public because newspapers do not want their staff to be politically involved. Reporters at the San Antonio Express-News, and at most other major Texas daily newspapers, were instructed not to sign any Independent candidate's petition.

Many states allow voters to register without declaring party membership, allowing them to vote in a primary, which are only for major-party candidates, and sign an Independent's petition. But in Texas a voter cannot do both, because signing a petition after voting in a primary would render the signature void. ... 

...Texas journalists are therefore limited to voting in the major-party primary. Of course, they can vote in general elections for whomever they want; voting records are private, whereas petitions are filed with the Secretary of State's Office. Other independent candidates can see the signatures of their challenger's supporters.

Some newspapers directly address petitions in their ethics policies, according to Robert Steele, a senior ethics faculty member at the Poynter Institute. Other papers might not address the issue directly, but connect petition-signing to restrictions on political activity by their journalists. ...

...Journalists have to be careful due to the wary eye of a public whose judgment has grown more critical in recent times. Steele summarizes the problem: "The public perception of a conflict is powerful and it gets in the way of our journalistic duty."
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