It's a fallacy to believe that we can separate our personal and professional lives. Rather, who one is as a person and who one is as a journalist are -- inevitably and inextricably -- woven together by role and responsibility, by circumstances and values.
Bob Greene's demise from his mega-profile columnist job at the Chicago Tribune highlights this reality. Greene resigned when Tribune editors learned he had a sexual encounter with a girl in her late teens. According to Tribune stories, she was a high school student who had interviewed him for her journalism class project. Greene also wrote about this teenager in one of his columns.
Greene's professional role was connected to his personal behavior, which was connected to his professional integrity, which was connected to his employer's credibility, which was connected to his fate. (See Don Wycliff's column)
Greene's behavior and the consequences have sparked a flurry of debate among Tribune readers and journalists across the land. A range of opinions has surfaced in letters to the Tribune and in comments on Jim Romenesko's MediaNews Letters on the Poynter website.
Some support Greene, arguing that his personal behavior has nothing to do with his professional role or that the resolution is out of proportion to the mistake he made:
• "If the newspaper is to be believed, no crime was committed, and the romance commenced after Greene had written about the woman. Both were adults, the sex was consensual. Adultery? Yes, but how does that become the Tribune's business?"
• "Yes, Bob Greene made a mistake. And he's owned up to it. Period. Greene's work is immeasurable."
• "Unless Bob Greene used his position as a writer to coerce the young woman into having an affair, this is purely a business between these two people."
• "I fail to see why the indiscretion of Bob Greene resulted in his leaving the Chicago Tribune."
Opposing views stress the nature of Greene's violation and the connection to his professional role:
• "What is so complicated about this?... Gross abuse of his position, period, with emphasis on the 'gross.'"
• "I can only ask those who want to defend Greene, or accuse the Tribune of some kind of hypocrisy, are they going to be rushing to introduce their 16- or 17-year-old daughters to Bob Greene so they can work on projects together?"
• "It was not only poor judgment, but may well have left his employer liable for a legal settlement, as well as harmed a teenage girl... Journalists have to remember that the public has to trust not only our words, but our deeds, especially with children. Because when that is violated, we bring disrepute not only on ourselves, but our colleagues and makes their job much harder."
• "I applaud the way Tribune editor Ann Marie Lipinski dealt with the complaint against Bob Greene, including the prompt investigation, confrontation and action."
My sentiment is with those who believe Greene committed a serious wrong and that the Tribune was correct to hold him accountable.
Bob Greene took advantage of this young woman. He abused his journalistic position and influence. He treated her with disrespect. He exploited her.
Greene also seriously undermined his employer by compromising the trust placed in him. His unprofessional behavior damaged the Tribune's credibility. His personal failure resulted in the Tribune losing a valued columnist. He may even have created legal liability for his employer.
Greene's actions were harmful and a violation of both personal responsibility and professional ethical obligations.
I write not to condemn Bob Greene, for he knows better than anyone does the weight of his deeds. He has admitted (in an e-mail to the Associated Press) that there were "indiscretions in my life that I'm not proud of. I don't have the words to express the sadness I feel. I am very sorry for anyone I have let down, including the readers who have for so long meant so much to me."
I write about this matter to explore a remarkably disturbing story within our profession, a story that is a cautionary tale for every one of us.
We must acknowledge that we bring our personal principles and values with us to the workplace. We also take our professional persona along when we head home, into the community and beyond.
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It's a fallacy to believe that we can separate our personal and professional lives. |
Like it or not, we are always journalists, even when we are technically off-the-clock. We are much like other professionals -- physicians, law enforcement officers, educators, military personnel and others -- who carry a unique and profound responsibility to those we serve. Even as we engage in other activities and avocations with our families and friends (and well we should), we should always be ready to "be the journalist" if duty calls. If a newsworthy issue emerges, we remember and follow up. If a newsworthy event occurs, we practice journalism, sometimes immediately.
Given this profoundly important role, it's imperative that we lead our lives with genuine attention to high ethical standards. We should honor our desire to do well and do right with the capacity to carry out our good intentions.
To be sure, none of us is perfect. Each of us will at times stumble and perhaps fall. Yet we always must recognize the great influence we have as journalists.
We should hold ourselves accountable for the way we behave both professionally and personally. We also should accept that the organizations for which we work have an obligation to set standards for employees. Employers have a right and responsibility to address character and behavior issues.
This approach is not unique to journalism. Clergy, counselors, physicians, law enforcement officers and educators have special relationships with those they serve.
There is power and influence in those relationships. And with that power comes responsibility, the responsibility to act honorably.
