When Should Press 'Out' Politicians?

When Should Press 'Out' Politicians? Joe Strupp Discusses Rights and Wrongs in 2nd 'E&P' Audio/Podcast
By E&P Staff
Published: October 10, 2007 10:45 AM ET

In our first audio feature last week, associate editor Jennifer Saba talked about the troubling slide in newspaper ad revenues lately. Now E&P Editor Greg Mitchell interviews Senior Editor Joe Strupp about another very topical, but very different, issue: When is it right for newspapers to "out" politicians or public officials?

This question, of course, is sparked by the recent case involving Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, who just days ago went back on his promise to resign his Senate seat if a judge did not overturn his sex-related conviction.

The Craig case brought to a boil a long simmering debate over how the media should handle "outing" elected officials who are rumored to be gay. Strupp, in the six-minute interview, talks about how the Idaho Statesman handled the scandal, before and after it broke, the different views of editors and ethicists on press and privacy rights, and also looks at other cases involving Mayor Jim West of Spokane and Governor Jim McGreevey of New Jersey.

You can listen to the interview by clicking here.
http://nielsenpodcasts.com/eandp/