Ethical questions raised about Bartiromo

Reuters reporter Dan Wilchins writes late Wednesday that the actions by CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo to accept a ride back from China on a Citigroup jet, which led to the firing of a bank executive, raises ethical questions about the business cable news channel’s star.

Wilchins wrote, “Personal relationships are crucial to reporters who vie to get stories first. But friendships that are too close can raise questions about objectivity, said Bob Steele, senior ethics faculty member at the Poynter Institute, a training and research center for journalists.

“Was there any personal connection with Mr. Thomson that could raise concerns about competing loyalties? It’s a reasonable question to ask, and important for her to answer in a meaningful way,” Steele said.

“Flying on Citigroup’s corporate jet could be seen as too close a relationship, even if the network paid for the flight, said Joe Bernt, professor of journalism at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.

“Experts said one could argue that the plane ride gave Bartiromo access to a powerful figure at Citigroup, much the way White House reporters may have access to the U.S. president by flying on Air Force One.

“But the analogy is not perfect, said Deni Elliott, who teaches media ethics at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. More than one reporter typically flies on Air Force One at the same time, and it may be the only time that reporters can get access to a president, Elliott said.

“Citigroup’s $5 million sponsorship of a Sundance Channel show that Bartiromo was to host with other personalities is also nettlesome if Bartiromo and Thomson are friends, said Pamela Luecke, professor of business journalism at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

“Bartiromo is no longer scheduled to appear on the Sundance Channel show, the Wall Street Journal reported.”

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