Something in today's Nashville City Paper caught my attention: this story about whether a local incumbent candidate for city council actually lives in his district. The story says:
Election Commission members were presented with information before Monday’s meeting by reporter James Morris of Nashville Pride, a weekly publication, that he says proves Wallace doesn’t live at 305 McMillin St., which Wallace lists on his candidate form as his address. Morris, also treasurer of the Davis’ campaign, declined a chance to speak concerning his research.Nashville Pride is a weekly paper for Nashville's African-American community. My question is, what in the heck is the Nashville Pride reporter doing also serving as treasurer of a political campaign? Why is his editor and publisher allowing this blatant conflict of interest? And why are they allowing him to cover a campaign in which he is involved? have they never heard of the basic tenets of journalism ethics and fairness?
And, uh, while questions about the candidate's legal residence is an important issue, the Nashville City Paper also should have spent some ink on the very real issue of the reporter's breach of journalistic ethics.
UPDATE: According to a story in today's Tennessean, Morris mis-represented himself as a reporter for the Pride. If that's true, then it is Morris alone - and not the Pride - that has a the ethics problem.
UPDATE: NCP has a follow-up and a second update on the story.