[WikiEN-l] Is editing for payment a fundamentally problematic conflict of interest?

[William Pietri]

Marc Riddell wrote:
> Huh!?!
>
> How would giving away the money you are paid for doing work make that work
> any more credible? What about the credibility and integrity of the person
> doing that work? Ever hear of trust!?!
>
> As for "good editors losing their neutrality when money is involved" - to
> make this statement work you need to remove the word "good".
>   

Absolutely. That's why journalists regularly take payments from people 
they are covering in the news. A "good" journalist would have no problem 
writing a fair article, no matter who's giving them money. We trust 
them, so there's no problem.

Wait, no. It's just the opposite. That's called a conflict of interest. 
And behavior like that is strictly forbidden by any journalistic code of 
ethics I've ever seen. E.g.:

    Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than
    the public's right to know.

    Journalists should:

        * Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
        * Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise
          integrity or damage credibility.
        * Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment,
          and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public
          office and service in community organizations if they
          compromise journalistic integrity.
        * Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
        * Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power
          accountable.
        * Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests
          and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
        * Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money;
          avoid bidding for news.


(from the "Act Independently" section of http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp)


We ignore their historically evolved and time-tested solution at our 
great peril.


William



-- 
William Pietri <william at scissor.com>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:William_Pietri