Romenesko Misc.
Executive editor
David Boardman (left) says his
admonition on politically based cheering in the Seattle Times newsroom "has ignited the predictable flame-throwing in the blogosphere." He tells his staff:
* "I ask you all to leave your personal politics at the front door for one simple reason: A good newsroom is a sacred and magical place in which we can and should test every assumption, challenge each other's thinking, ask the fundamental questions those in power hope we will overlook."
* "If we wore our politics on our sleeves in here, I have no doubt that in this and in most other mainstream newsrooms in America, the majority of those sleeves would be of the same color: blue. ...That is not particularly surprising, given how people make career decisions and that social service and activism is a primary driver for many journalists."
* "But if we allowed our news meetings to evolve into a liberal latte klatch, I have no doubt that a pathological case of group-think would soon set in. One of the advances of which I’m most proud over the years is our willingness to question and challenge each other as we work to give our readers the most valuable, meaningful journalism we can."
>
Postman: Dan Savage is wrong about cheering on several fronts (ST)
