The Times is No Place for 'Funny, Bittersweet, or Just Bitter or Idiotic' Political Bumper Stickers [Update]
The Times standards editor, Craig Whitney, recently was on a road-trip and while on the trip, saw some political bumper stickers. Said stickers are not the sort of stuff for Times reporters and editors, he writes, nor should they contribute money to any political candidates. Here's the friendly(?) memo he just sent out:
On a recent road trip, I found numerous funny, bittersweet, or just bitter or idiotic political bumper stickers a welcome distraction from $4.50 gas, but also thought I should remind everybody who has anything to do with creating or displaying news content why they shouldn't display their own political views, on cars or elsewhere, in this campaign season or afterward.
The following two provisions of our Ethical Journalism policy apply:
Journalists have no place on the playing fields of politics. Staff members are entitled to vote, but they must do nothing that might raise questions about their professional neutrality or that of The Times. In particular, they may not campaign for, demonstrate for, or endorse candidates, ballot causes or efforts to enact legislation. They may not wear campaign buttons or themselves display any other insignia of partisan politics. They should recognize that a bumper sticker on the family car or a campaign sign on the lawn may be misread as theirs, no matter who in their household actually placed the sticker or the sign.
Staff members may not themselves give money to, or raise money for, any political candidate or election cause. Given the ease of Internet access to public records of campaign contributors, any political giving by a Times staff member would carry a great risk of feeding a false impression that the paper is taking sides.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Craig Whitney
Update, 5:41 P.M.: While We're at It, Times Reporters Should Leave Out Facebook Preferences Too!
It's OK for Times journalists to place bumper stickers on their car. The country already knows which "side" "...the paper is taking..."
NYT reporters don't need to display their political pursuations. They are already well known. So is their integrity... or lack thereof.
Ditto!
You are joking aren't you?
Whitney must be nuts. The Times has been the DNC party rag for years. "All the news that's fit to print"? What a joke.
Dear Mr. Whitney:
Does revealing national secrets during wartime count as taking sides?
Suppose you use a bumper sticker to alert the enemy about a covert operation?..............is THAT a violation of compnay policy?????
Awaiting your reply.
I thought that was saltzbergs auto!! Steven
That IS the Salzbergers' auto!
But.....without bumper stickers, how will liberals be able to remember what they believe in???
"Staff members . . . must do nothing that might raise questions about their professional neutrality or that of The Times. In particular, they may not campaign for, demonstrate for, or endorse candidates, ballot causes or efforts to enact legislation."
I guess the NYT will now be just a blank piece of paper. (Whitney can't honestly believe the NYT and its reporters are neutral. Who does he think he's fooling?)
Ironic isn't it? This late in the game, the Times goes for humor.
That *is* the Salzbergers' auto! I should know.
What an idiot. Everybody already knows that you run a "Wacko Lib" paper.
Funny how the NYT ethics policy for journalism has nothing to do with journalism. It's more unethical that journalists are allowed to offer their support in print under the veil of objectivity rather than in the light of day on their lapel, bumper, front lawn or in the form of a donation. The NYT will keep losing readers until they show true journalistic integrety. Serves them right!
What a joke, the NYT is as bias as they come.
Ah, yes, you're so clever. Not clever enough to check your preconcieved notions though. Here's a list of NYT employees' contributions. Three of the four went to republicans. But thanks for playing. Losers.
Giuliani, Rudolph W MOONAN, WENDY LYON MRS
SAG HARBOR,NY 11963 NEW YORK TIMES/WEEKLY COLUMINIST 5/8/07 $2,300
Giuliani, Rudolph W MOONAN, WENDY LYON MRS
SAG HARBOR,NY 11963 NEW YORK TIMES/WEEKLY COLUMINIST 5/8/07 $2,300
Biden, Joseph R Jr TSCHINKEL, SIMON
NEW YORK,NY 10016 NEW YORK TIMES/SALES 12/21/07 $250
McCain, John MCCOY, RON MR
ATLANTA,GA 30306 NEW YORK TIMES/MANAGEMENT 1/24/08 $200
NYT? They still in "bidness?"
Smart move.
The clampdown is now complete. The NYT wants total control of the message. I guess the First amendment doesn't apply to NYT staffers either anymore.
"All the news that's fit to print" has been changed more than slightly. It is now "All the news that fits our left wing ideology."
What a load of garbage. Cant put a sticker on your car but you sure can get the car from the manufacturer for free. I did it and so does everyone, if you are not getting free goods for good writeups, then you are not doing this gig right!
Anyone ever consider the possibility that the amount of knowledge these people are expected to have about world affairs, and foreign/domestic policy might actually contribute to the 'left-leaning' nature of the NYT? Well, They tend to be more centrist, actually -- but I can see how it LOOKS left from way over there on the right.
Education does have a STRANGE leftward pull on people's ideologies. I wonder why? I guess education isn't FAIR and BALANCED enough... I personally like my news to be balanced with an equal sprinkling of True and False. So, I stay away from reputable news sources...
Has anyone looked at th epolitical donations from Times employees at OpenSecrets.org?
I love the NYT because it saves us money! We have found that the best use for it is putting it down for the dogs to use the bathroom on! There is more intelligence on the paper when the dogs are done than in the paper at press time!!
In reading the comments, so far the best (and only) liberal (yeah, I know..."progressive" "independent", no doubt) retort is to list campaign contributions to moderate Republicans Guliani and McCain by a few NYT staff members. Boy, I guess that shows us the NYT's staff are "objective" huh? I absolutely love when liberals are either silent or grasping for pathetically desperate retorts to well known facts...shows us where the real truth is. The New York Times is a liberal rag...end of story.
Well, it's nice that Times employees are still allowed to vote!
Hey Evan, can you pat your head and rub circles on your belly at the same time? How many reporters did you get on your little list? Not a one. Why don't you try again when you find Times' reporters who contribute to Republicans. Then you can call me all the names you want. (Ever notice how liberals, who are supposed to cherish "tolerance" and "diversity" resort to the most infantile name calling when they can't come up with an actual argument?
I find it hilarious that Craig Whitney says, "Staff members are entitled to vote, but they must do nothing that might raise questions about their professional neutrality or that of The Times." ...Each time I open the New York times I question the paper's "professional neutrality."
What is written, where it is placed in the paper and how it is presented suggests that the New York Times certainly does believe that journalists have a major place in politics.
Mr. Whitney should concentrate on preventing obvious political bias in his newspaper and forget about the cars of his journalists.
Everyone knows who the Times supports. They just don't want any competing views on their property or in their face. They thought and speech police at the Times are Nazis with this. The Times needs to be the next paper closed
As a journalist, I find it a violation of our civil rights that a newspaper would ask us to abstain from taking part in anything political, aside from voting.
It's a farce to try to maintain some kind of guise of neutrality. Aren't we professionals? Can't we, in a professional way, report news with clarity, fairness and sound judgement?
Just because I put a Mike Huckabee yard sign in front of my house doesn't mean I'm going to slant every news angle in his favor (well, it's pointless now anyway! ha ha).
I'm just sick and tired of the news media pretending to be neutral when they're not. Just grow a pair and be fair!
Anyway, I will never, ever let my "boss" tell me how I can spend my money, decorate my yard, or bumper sticker my car as a private citizen!!!!
I at least I know the difference between my private life and my public reporting and how to keep them seperate!