This week on the CMA listserv. . .
To Party or Not to Party: Should a reporter declare political affiliation or make his or her political affiliation known? Opinions varied widely, but most advisers at least agreed in principle that true “objectivity” is unattainable. Subjective decisions are made daily, but all reporters should at least recognize their biases and then exercise professionalism, balance and independence when reporting on issues to which they may hold personal opinions.
But My Youthful Opinions Shouldn’t Matter Anymore: A former columnist at a student newspaper apparently made the argument to an adviser that the opinions she expressed in her column might affect her future employment opportunities and that her name should be altered on those columns. We are used to getting calls from people who want stories pulled about underage drinking arrests, etc., from the record, but seldom does a reporter or columnist want their byline removed. The consensus on this one was, to quote one adviser … “not no, but hell no!”
How to Write Flowery Prose: Advice was offered on recommended textbooks for feature writing. Suggestions ranged from “Intimate Journalism” to “The Art of Feature Writing.” I’ll keep an updated list on the textbook page.
“lil’ Castro” Fan Club: Folks were raving about the Midnight Critique and Ethics Hold’em Poker Party at last weeks convention in D.C., organized by Michael Koretzky. Estimates put about 200 students at the critique where they ate cereal, smoked cigars, had their publications critiqued and played ethics poker. You can check out the show here.
All this and more was discussed this past week on the CMA members listserv. If you’re not a member, or if you are and you opted off of the listserv, this is what you’re missing. Members can join the listserv by contacting listserv administrator Bill Neville. If you’re not a member, learn how to join CMA here.
Keep it up, bookmarked and referred some mates.