…a Nation Institute Fellow who uncovered apparent conflict of interest and, ultimately, undisclosed outside income at the New York Times.
The Times Jerusalem bureau chief was also – until he dropped it as a result of Blumenthal’s article – a client of an Israeli speakers bureau. The firm pitched stories to the bureau chief, some of which he covered.
This was bad enough by way of giving the appearance of less than total objectivity on the part of a reporter covering an incredibly contentious part of the world. But Blumenthal’s piece also had the effect of uncovering other delinquency.
[Ethan Bronner] did not tell his editors about his relationship with Lone Star … because he did not think joining a speakers bureau had to be disclosed. Indeed, the ethics guidelines do not specifically require it. But the guidelines do require Times staff members to provide an accounting to editors if they earn more than $5,000 of speaking fees in a year. Mr. Bronner acknowledged he was “delinquent” in failing to do this, saying he believed he was obligated to account only for any single speech for which he was paid more than $5,000, another requirement of the policy.
Wow. So this guy believed that if he gave a bunch of speeches in a year, each of them pulling in five thousand – with a yearly total payment of, say, $150,000 – he didn’t have to declare this income to the Times because no one speech paid more than five thou.
He’s running a news bureau?
September 25th, 2011 at 4:50AM
Maybe the guy excused himself with the claim that the talks were CJE-like, as in continuing journalistic education. We know someone else who tried that stunt but Senator Grassley wasn’t buying it. LOL.
September 25th, 2011 at 6:45AM
adam: Yes – I was reminded of Coach Shalala’s buddy too.