The Cost of Engagement

In some cases, those strict separations are still maintained. In 1997, the Washington State Supreme Court sided with The Tacoma News Tribune when it was sued by reporter Sandy Nelson for preventing what the paper saw as political participation in gay-rights activities. In many other situations, however, times have changed. According to one news media focus group participant,

"I think that many of us went through a period of time in the '70s when you sort of stay[ed] away from everything... and what we saw from that is we became disconnected. We weren't part of the community. We didn't know what was going on in the community. So I think there has been a trend to come back to the community a little bit and it is not so much to join things but just to get out there and do things in the community and to open yourself up to things. I think at different levels of the paper there are a lot of people... who are involved in causes from PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) to [the] Denise Louie [Education] Center... However, those people are never involved in anything that comes anywhere near what they are doing with their job. We really keep those things separate."

So some journalists can participate in the life of local not-for-profits. Their participation can be an advantage to the group by way of the journalist's "expert knowledge" of how the media business works, but there are disadvantages, too. For many journalists a personal relationship with a not-for-profit precludes reporting about that organization. Another reporter in the same Good News/Good Deeds focus group added:

"... it's just the '70s mentality of 'Oh, I could never do anything with the community because it would mar me as a journalist.' And I think I get so much personal satisfaction out of volunteer work that I am a richer person because I do whatever volunteer work... I was a volunteer at a domestic violence shelter down south and when the O.J. [Simpson] thing broke it was really a wonderful thing to... hear how they were reacting to this, I thought, 'Oh, this is the best story! I would love to...' But I couldn't. I just felt that would be a conflict."

Many journalists would agree. So, the not-for-profit has a journalist participating in their work, but that journalist — the very one the organization would choose to tell its story — is ethically unavailable to do so. Participation in community organizations is becoming more common and the ethical boundaries are becoming less clear. Almost every journalist Good News/Good Deeds spoke to, in focus groups and out, had the same advice for anyone trying to communicate through the media to the public. Here is how it was phrased by one journalist in our Seattle focus group:

"I think it is important to build a relationship. If you want to really sell a program, you want to build a relationship before you need somebody. And there are all kinds of people that you only see them when they need you and when they want something in the paper. You never hear from them. They never give you a helping hand."

The people who do give journalists a helping hand are the ones who become reliable news sources. Every good journalist is looking for good sources in the same way every good citizen is looking for good journalism. Nevertheless, creating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships remains a challenge.