There has long been wide agreement among newspapermen that a reporter who dabbles in politics tarnishes his sheen as a reporter (see below). But on the broader question of a newsman's obligations as a citizen, there has never been unanimity. Can a newsman take part in community affairs without compromising his position as a public critic?
Of course not, says Alfred Friendly, managing editor of the Washington Post and Times Herald, in leading off a debate on the subject in the current Bulletin of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. "The responsibility that goes with the press's privileged position is that of...
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