General Discussion

KharmaTrain

(31,706 posts)

47. The Vote Is Private...Petitions Are Not...

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 05:03 AM

Mar 2012

I also knew plenty of news reporters and writers who would avoid voting as they felt it was a conflict of interest in the subjects they were covering. At several stations I worked at our news people lived in a different district/towns so that they wouldn't be "biased" in their writing or reporting. Those days are loooooong gone now.

A petition has to be verified and the names checked to be sure they're legit as opposed to a vote that is supposed to remain private. Thus anyone who signed the recall petitions were doing so openly and publicly.

The bottom line is these people did know that signing the petition was against company rules and did so willingly.

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Gannett vows 'serious measures' against 25 journalists who signed Walker recall petitions [View all] Newsjock Mar 2012 OP

Gannett sucks ass. cyberswede Mar 2012 #1

Good. I applaud them for this cthulu2016 Mar 2012 #2

Yes, we can't have employees exercising their constitutional rights, now, can we? Scuba Mar 2012 #20

Nope, now if only their masters could keep them from voting. Incitatus Mar 2012 #25

I don't always agree with it, but Blue_Tires Mar 2012 #32

Problem is as a journalist you are not supposed to sign petitions nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #37

Perhaps, but since Gannet has not a single "journalist" on their staff it doesn't apply.... Scuba Mar 2012 #46

They don't nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #53

Yeah, those darn typesetters, always spinning the message.... Scuba Mar 2012 #54

Gannett's Principles of Ethical Conduct mzteris Mar 2012 #3

No, it doesn't nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #5

What's the difference between signing a petition and voting? Fawke Em Mar 2012 #6

Lots of reporters don't vote. nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #9

IIRC, Keith Olbermann doesn't vote, for reasons along those lines. n/t Ian David Mar 2012 #18

I find that hard to believe considering the big flap over his donating 1monster Mar 2012 #21

At least, that USED to be the case. Ian David Mar 2012 #33

The Vote Is Private...Petitions Are Not... KharmaTrain Mar 2012 #47

so they're not allowed to vote? n/t mzteris Mar 2012 #11

Some reporters do not vote nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #38

that's a bit ridiculous. mzteris Mar 2012 #50

No, it's nothing to do with employers nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #52

not sure where the "violation" is mzteris Mar 2012 #4

That is their statement as a newspaper, not the personnel policy nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #7

I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaken mzteris Mar 2012 #14

I never said you could nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #17

Signing A Petition Is Not Voting... KharmaTrain Mar 2012 #49

Not correct cthulu2016 Mar 2012 #10

Thank you for the good examples nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #12

And I bet they don't discourage investigation regarding their advertisers angstlessk Mar 2012 #8

The recall signatures never should have been made public. postulater Mar 2012 #13

There never was any assurance or promise of secrecy nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #16

I am disagreeing with the GAB policy of making the signatures public. postulater Mar 2012 #19

From the policy: nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #23

I disagree with both policies but agree that postulater Mar 2012 #41

That is not just GAB policy. former9thward Mar 2012 #34

If it is then I disagree with that. postulater Mar 2012 #35

From the NY Times nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #15

And we all know just how impartial the NYT is. hobbit709 Mar 2012 #22

Well, both the right and left are regularly and equally mad at their policies nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #24

"your side"???? Are calling the previous poster a right-winger? Careful, someone's about to alert. Scuba Mar 2012 #26

I wasn't calling anybody a right-winger nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #27

Anyone who's dealt with me more than five minutes would respond like this hobbit709 Mar 2012 #30

1st Amendment PSUDem Mar 2012 #31

So a journalist does not have the right to vote? jwirr Mar 2012 #28

Have you read the thread? nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #29

What publications are a part of Gannett? We need to enact some 'serious measures' Zalatix Mar 2012 #36

You might want to boycott every paper in the country nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #39

Yeah but you're on the DU, if you're a reporter, wouldn't they get you for that? Zalatix Mar 2012 #43

Reporters have a private life nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #44

Uh ya gots a copy of those Gannett's Principles of Ethical Conduct? benld74 Mar 2012 #40

I don't equal signing a petition with campaigning or proseletizing Poiuyt Mar 2012 #42

From the NY Times nobodyspecial Mar 2012 #45

If you were for ethical conduct Genia, you would have signed the petition also. mmonk Mar 2012 #48

Policies like this are wrong ibegurpard Mar 2012 #51