Finally Friday

After what has been a long, difficult, and trying week, I provide you these goodies to enjoy for the weekend.

It’s Finally Friday. Right George?

Maybe some golf?

But maybe not in North Carolina if you’re going back to school like myself. You’re likely going to be shopping along with everyone else for Tax Free Weekend.

For the female shoppers, their theme song to get ready is likely this.

And for the men.

Getting a Little Close to the Source

When I was at West Virginia University’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism the professors attempted to teach me and other students the many ethical lessons of the trade. One lesson that instructor after instructor was consistent on was that a reporter was not to get close to a source.

Their reasoning was that you were to remain an objective reporter in covering whatever issue it may be, from city council budgets to even a state championship. This can be a difficult proposition for reporters, but the closeness rule simply comes down to this: don’t do anything that would jeopardize your credibility and reporting.

It seems Telemundo KVEA reporter Mirthala Salinas missed this lesson at her journalism school. Salinas was suspended recently by the Spanish-language station for having an affair with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. It is believed that Salinas was having an affair with Villaraigosa when she reported that the mayor was leaving his wife of 20 years.

She was suspended without pay, according to a FOX News report.

Salinas’ actions of crossed the objectivity line twice. First, by having an affair with a key figure in Los Angeles, Salinas put in jeopardy her reporting of the mayor. The Los Angeles Times reports the relationship can be traced back to 2005 and Salinas has covered the mayor during that time. Also, by reporting on Villaraigosa’s marriage situation, Salinas reported on a story in which it can be believed she was a central figure not just in reporting the story but also in how the situation - the collapse of a marriage - occured.

Villaraigosa is not without blame in this situation and I’m sure if his marriage goes into divorce proceedings that this affair will be a central aspect of the case.

And neither are officials at KVEA, who should have played a larger role in limiting Salinas’ professional contact with the mayor after the relationship began to grow. Instead, KVEA allowed Salinas to anchor stories about the mayors relationship ending with his wife and a news conference on a separate day.

It’s perfectly understandable for a reporter to strike up friendships with the people you are covering. You spend a good portion of your time with the people on your beat so it’s bound to happen that friendships will form. But the friendship has to come with the reporter’s best stiff arm, or else you can make the same mistake Salinas did.

Here’s hoping that journalism students, when they return to classes in a few weeks, will learn from the Salinas situation and not make similar mistakes in their careers.