Supreme Court Decision Has Business Reporters Covering Their Bosses

By Lizzie Newland
June 27, 2005 02:36 PM

When a media company makes headlines, it can create a conflict of interest for the reporter. 

 

Recently, when the Supreme Court rejected appeals from media companies to lower restrictions on media ownership, business reporters were faced with covering their own industry. 

 

In this case, media giants like the Newspaper Association of America, National Association of Broadcasters, Tribune Co., Media General, Gannett Co., CBS, NBC and Fox appealed to the Supreme Court to ease restrictions on owning multiple media outlets in one market. The Supreme Court let a lower ruling stand, which considered the Federal Communication Commission's looser rules on ownership to be unjustified. 

 

Now business journalists at these companies must report on their employers, which can be an intimidating task. But not to worry, there are ways to write the story without putting your job on the line.

 

Since the media industry is well covered by analysts, reporters can turn to them for unbiased information. Analysts can put the issue in context and let you know how the parties involved are likely to react.

 

At The Chicago Tribune, which is owned by the Tribune Co., for instance, reporter Robert Manor talked to a media analyst to provide a time frame for the FCC's decision.

 

It's always important to tell both sides of the story but, in this case, it's practically impossible to get the media companies to talk. Many did issue written statements though, so even if you can't get quotes from a person, you still have some kind of response. 

 

Jeffrey Kelley, a business reporter for The Richmond Times-Dispatch, inserted excerpts from Media General's statement into an AP story. Since Media General is headquartered in Richmond and owns the paper, he says he felt it was important to include a response from the company. 

 

When it came time to write the stories, Manor says he didn't face too much pressure from his employers. The only restriction his publisher placed on his story was length, making his job much easier. 

 

"I approached this story the same way as I would any (other)," he says. Although Manor had to rely on prepared statements from the media, he was able to provide depth by talking to analysts and FCC commissioners. 

 

Sometimes, your own publisher can serve as a strong source even if he or she isn't the one making the news. That was the case for Seattle Times reporter Alwyn Scott, who quoted Frank Blethen, his publisher, on his stance that there should be more limits on media ownership. Scott says that Blethen's outspoken beliefs, knowledge on the subject and presence in the community encouraged him to interview him for a wire story that ran in his paper. 

 

"Plus, it offers a chance to present (the story) from a local perspective," he adds. 

 

Though, reporters should also be careful not to make assumptions about their own industry. "The advantage is that you understand the business," Scott says.  "And the disadvantage is that you think you know more than you do."

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Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism