Joe Gallimore uses his pulp-and-ink allotment this morning to promote a professional boxing match at the local civic center. For a long 20 inches, he describes the civic notariety and "benefits" of grown men pummeling each other. Nowhere in the column does Gallimore report he is a state-licensed fight promoter and, as such, stands to directly and personally benefit -- financially -- from a full house.
Journalism's ethical canon looks askance at reporters who cover events in which they have a personal stake. In some places, this prohibition is taken so seriously that some journalists choose not to vote in local, state and national elections. Sun Coast Media Group doesn't have the same high standards. In fact, its standards are such that it will give free space to one of its employees to make sure his second job pays well.
At most newspapers, this unethical behavior would get a worker fired. But I guess he fits right in at the Sun.
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you, OWW, for reading the Sun for me, as I just couldn't do it!!!
If you want to take Joe Gallimore's abuse of his position as general manager of the DeSoto Sun one step further, how about this:
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, when Richard Hitt was general manager, he and then-editor Dawn Krebs sponsored a community yard sale at the Turner Center, and invited the public out to come and visit with one another. The event was free to the public. While I was there with my wife, I spoke to Richard Hitt and complimented him on the event. He told me that the advertising deal the DeSoto Sun has with the Turner Center allows them use of the center twice a year FOR FREE. and that he and the editor wanted to do more of these in order to give back to the community.
As you can tell, it never happened, because Joe Gallimore took Richard's place, that so-called editor we have now took Dawn Krebs' place, and we now have to pay an admission fee at an event that Joe Gallimore used his newspaper clout to get himself for free. I just hope he gave Dunn-Rankin a cut instead of keeping it all for himself, but it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't.