Ethics and exclusivity

EricaCNPA · Number of posts: 142 Age: 28 Registration date: 2007-06-13

Quote:

According to Mabie and other sources close to the situation, station management attempted in recent weeks to negotiate a deal with Sacred Heart Hospital in which TV-13 would run medical stories featuring personnel from that hospital and its affiliates but not employees of other Chippewa Valley hospitals or clinics.

That didn't sit well with Mabie, who said an exclusive deal with Sacred Heart posed an obvious conflict of interest that called the newsroom's objectivity into question. Mabie said he was unsure whether the hospital would pay TV-13 as part of the agreement.

"My problem with this is it was going to dictate newsroom content," said Mabie, whose last day at TV-13 was Friday. "I told myself that I could not with a clear conscience go into that newsroom and tell the staff that this was a good thing."

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Exclusivity in journalism? Houston, we've got a problem. I think Marty beat me to that particular line, but it still applies!

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Erica Jolley-Meers
Digital Media Coordinator
CNPA