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Fired: Calvert Collins.
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Update: KPBS has reversed the ethics policy described below.
MSNBC.com reports at least three journalists have lost their jobs since their political campaign contributions were revealed -- including Calvert Collins, the Omaha TV reporter who gave $500 to a candidate and then posed with him in a photo on Facebook.
Bill Dedman, the investigative reporter who broke the story , will be on These Days tomorrow. It's also the topic of Current Conversation at the moment.
I have never given money to any politician. I vote, but I'm registered as "No Party." My roommate teases me about how politically in active I am -- even though I'm a relatively young man with deep political convictions. But you'll never see me at a protest, or on a petition. It just doesn't feel right.
I wasn't aware of the KPBS policy on journalists and politics, so I checked out our code of ethics:
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KPBS journalists may not run for office, endorse candidates or otherwise engage in politics. Since contributions to candidates are part of the public record, KPBS journalists may not contribute to political campaigns, as doing so would call into question a journalist's impartiality in coverage. [...]
KPBS journalists may not participate in marches and rallies involving causes or issues that KPBS covers, nor should they sign petitions or otherwise lend their name to such causes, or contribute money to them.
Elsewhere, five people from
The San Diego Union-Tribune
are on
the list
. I called Bob Kittle, the newspaper's editorial page editor. He forwarded me to Karin Winner, the editor in chief.
I haven't heard back from her yet.
Read her response.
-- Andrew Phelps is a reporter for KPBS News and co-host of Off Mic . Please read our guidelines before posting comments. -----
