WSJ reporter leads opposition of mosque expansion

A Wall Street reporter, Paul Overberg, has led an opposition to the expansion of a mosque in suburban Washington, reports Paul Farhi of The Washington Post.

Farhi writes, “Overberg, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and formerly at USA Today, declined to comment. He referred questions to Carrington’s attorney and to a Journal spokesman.

“In any case, his activism is unusual. Most mainstream news organizations frown on, if not outright ban, their journalists’ participation in activities that could conflict with their reporting or cast them as central players in an issue. This usually means that contributing to or participating in a political cause is banned, lest it suggest that a reporter, or his news organization, is taking sides and thereby compromising their role as fair brokers of facts.

“But is waging opposition to a mosque’s expansion the same thing?

“The Journal says no. Asked for comment, a spokesman for the newspaper, Steve Severinghaus, issued a statement reading, ‘Paul Overberg is a well-respected data reporter for the Wall Street Journal and his participation in this neighborhood home owners’ association is not related to his reporting and poses no conflict of interest.'”

Read more here.