by Jesse Fox Mayshark
When we welcomed Barry Henderson back to Metro Pulse as our new managing editor, a few things had changed since he left us four years ago. Coury Turczyn is leaving, for one. (And this isn't related to the subject of this column but...thanks for everything, Coury. And good luck.) Most of the staff has turned over since 1996.
And Barry's wife, Leslie, now works for the city of Knoxville. She's assistant director of the department of development.
It was this latter point that made us all wince. Not because of anything against Leslie, who was a fine reporter for years with the old Knoxville Journal and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Not even because we automatically wince whenever anyone says "city government" or "Ashe administration." But having a managing editor helping guide our coverage of local culture and politics at the same time his wife is playing a prominent role in shaping those things is the sort of conflict that sets off alarms for anyone who's ever stayed awake through a journalism ethics class.
It's not an unusual situation. Like anyone else, reporters and editors tend to meet potential mates while on the job. That can mean meeting someone else in the newsroom (as Barry and Leslie did when they were in Atlanta), but it can mean meeting someone who starts out as a source and becomes a spouse.
The question is, how does a news organization handle those conflicts?
"In some cases, the conflicts and the competing loyalties are so great that one of the two spouses has to step out of their role," says Bob Steele, who heads the ethics program at Florida's renowned Poynter Institute, a center for media research and education. "Short of that, both spouses must recognize the competing loyalties and recognize their own vulnerabilities with their organizations.
"It's phenomenally challenging," he adds.
At Metro Pulse, we've agreed Barry will take a hands-off approach to coverage of city government. For example, if there's controversy in city codes enforcement or rumors flying about pending development deals, Barry won't contribute to the coverage in any way. That doesn't mean he'll never serve as a copy editor or proof-reader on those stories. But he won't advocate in favor or against covering issues specific to city government. This, of course, is easier said than done.
Our publisher, Joe Sullivan, says, "I have confidence in the professionalism of our editorial staff to cover any subject without fear or favor. But it's the better part of wisdom to avoid the appearance of conflicts, or strains on family relationships."
"One of the first things I told Joe was that I would not be able to write or edit any copy about the city of Knoxville as long as my wife was working there," Barry says.
Which Leslie says is fine with her—"We felt like there couldn't be any middle ground on that. He'd just have to choose not to write about it."
Of course, there are the concerns from the other side, too. Metro Pulse has never been a great supporter of Mayor Victor Ashe; isn't it possible someone from the mayor's staff will ask Leslie to call off the paper on certain issues?
"Of course, we don't expect that," Barry says. "But if it should happen, there's nothing she can do but tell them that's not her department."
Other media couples in town take a similar approach. The most prominent is Margie Nichols, news director for WBIR Channel 10, and her husband John Gill, assistant district attorney general for Knox County.
"He's in a job where much of what he does is confidential, so he just doesn't tell me," Nichols says. "If I think there's a potential conflict, for example during the election, I just removed myself...My managers made the decisions about what we covered and what we didn't cover."
"It's pretty simple," Gill agrees. "I treat all the press the same. It's really fairly easy." If anything, he says he's careful to give information to other outlets before Channel 10, to avoid the charge of favoritism.
Nichols also takes a careful approach with one of her staffers, anchor Terry Gruca, whose husband works in the city's public affairs office. (MP, for the record, also has another potential conflict—arts editor Adrienne Martini's husband works at the Bijou Theatre, which we write about regularly. The News-Sentinel also has a few.)
Steele says the key is preserving the integrity of the news operation:
"You build in as many checks and balances as possible to prevent a conflict of interest from causing damage and eroding credibility."
We agree. And we think one of those checks and balances is an informed readership. So now you know. Keep us on our toes.
August 17, 2000 * Vol. 10, No. 33
© 2000 Metro Pulse
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