General Discussion

KharmaTrain

(31,706 posts)

49. Signing A Petition Is Not Voting...

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 05:07 AM

Mar 2012

Your vote is secret...signing a peition is not. A name has to be checked to verify its who the petitioner says it is. When a person accepts a job with that company they're told up front about getting involved with politics and signing a petition is considered crossing that line. It's not prohibiting their right to vote...they can do that all they want (and I'll bet there's a clause in their contracts that prevent them from publicly disclosing those choices) in an effort to enable the paper to remain as objective as possible and maintain a wall between those who report the news and those who are the news.

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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