NYT Blog looks at “conflict” TV pundits make by becoming politicians
“It makes sense for candidates to seek out positions in niche cable, because it is a direct pipeline to voters,” said Jonathan Wald, a former senior vice president at CNBC and an adjunct professor at Columbia’s journalism school. “It’s an automatic affinity group.”
But for the networks and their viewers, “it’s a little awkward,” said David Bohrman, the Washington bureau chief for CNN. The networks that employ the analysts “probably ought to realize that they’re being taken advantage of a little bit,” he said, because some of the people are “posturing for election advantage.”
Andy Schotz, the chairman of the ethics committee for the Society of Professional Journalists, said “as long as they are still newsmakers, there is a strong potential for conflict.”
NYT
2/17/10
Magnolia Tribune
