Firewalls and Fairness

Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely from MSNBC, because he gave money to three Democrats who were running for seats in the House and Senate. Already, there is a big stink being floated that he is being targeted because he gave to Democrats, and that Fox News gave a million to Republicans, and it’s all a big conspiracy to keep the man down, and whatever.

Simmer down, and allow me to explain the real issue at play here.
Firewalls and Fairness

Allusions of Impartiality

Olbermann was suspended because he broke an internal policy. Any employee in editorial functions is required to get supervisor approval before making a donation. Not that a supervisor would tell them they couldn’t, but because it’s the supervisor’s job to know.

I used to be a TV reporter, and as such, did not make a great deal of money. (Most reporters don’t, you have to get one of those cushy anchor gigs, which typically come open when someone dies.) A few years ago, I started doing crisis communications training as a side income, and I did so with the express consent and knowledge of my boss.

It was understood that my training would only be done in advance, as a precautionary measure — and that at no time would clients be able to call me after a crisis began and solicit my advice. Even so, it was also helpful for my boss to know when he might need to shield me from coverage, to protect the impartiality of the newsroom and its reputation.

I was eventually contacted by an agency, who contracted me to do media training for a political candidate. I agreed, but only after securing permission from my boss. It was determined that I could do it, and we outlined the exact scope of my involvement. We also agreed that I would be separated from the rest of the political coverage in this municipal race. That was easier to negotiate, because I didn’t have any politics or government in my beat at the time.

By knowing in advance about my activity, my boss was able to create a firewall, which prevented any bias or impartiality on my part to bleed over into coverage. I didn’t have a thing to do with that race, until the night of the election when the returns were coming in.

Policy Statement

That’s why MSNBC has the policy it does.

Here is a list of other newsroom policies that MSNBC compiled. You’ll see there is no set industry standard, and a bit of variance. For instance, CBS News and ABC News forbids employee campaign donations completely.

MSNBC’s policy?

“Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest.  Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions.  You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the President of NBC News or his designee.”

That would seem to be the less-restrictive alternative, one that does not get in the way of a human being’s right to expression, and one that recognizes that we are all political animals who deserve to seek out our self-interests.

The policy is a good one, because it forces the programmatic notifications of potential bias, and gives the managers the leeway to allow for it without an impact on the overall reputation. If Politico — which broke the story — went to MSNBC with the information, and they said “Yes… Keith informed us in advance of his desire to make this contribution, and followed our policy” then there wouldn’t be an issue at all.

Now, maybe people in Olbermann’s position are simply too visible and too high up the food chain to allow them to make seemingly influential political gestures. That’s fine too, because a manager would tell Keith to his face that he couldn’t do it.

Olbermann is suspended because he went around a policy, one designed to protect the news organization from claims of institutional bias. And he did it knowingly, because before every single election, these policies are accompanied by HR-directed training and compliance procedures that ensure employees know the stakes.

Now, is this just a convenient way for MSNBC to dump Olbermann, who might be too flaky for his ratings to support?

Might this be a way for a tired Olbermann to get out of his contract, and go elsewhere?

I don’t know.

But I have shared with you what I do know, which is the system worked the way it is supposed to.