News media and politics: an uneasy union

NEWS MEDIA AND POLITICS: AN UNEASY UNION
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: James Rainey]
Some of America's most prominent political journalists are, quite literally, wedded to the 2008 presidential race: Their spouses work for one of the candidates. Relationships that cross the media-political divide raise ethical questions for the journalists and their employers. Should the potential conflict of interest merely be disclosed to readers or viewers? Or should the journalists be shifted to new assignments to lessen the appearance their motives might be divided? Heading into the presidential election year, the answers to those questions have been markedly different for at least four journalists. Journalism critics say the public's skepticism toward the media has been heightened by recent events, particularly the Libby trial, which revealed a cozy relationship between Washington journalists and their sources.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-prezmedia19mar19,1,6694249.story?coll=la-news-a_section
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