How personally involved should staffers be in elections?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on March 3, 2008 at 10:02 AM

As the elections and primaries continue in the US, more questions are arising about how newspaper staffers should be involved in the political scene. Dallas Morning News managing editor George Rodrigue opens the discussion:

Can newspaper employees, especially editors and reporters, or their spouses attend party caucuses?

"Company policy is that newsroom employees can and should exercise their right to vote, but should not participate as activists, organizers, etc.. So this is a tough call," he wrote in a memo to staff.

The ruling from the chair said that spouses could attend caucuses, but not newsroom employees. Attending caucuses could be interpreted "as a step into activism."

Any thoughts?

A few weeks ago Time magazine editor Rick Stengel voiced concerns about the common practice of newspapers endorsing candidates in the US.

Source: Poynter Romenesko