Why Bloomberg News should cover its founder if he runs for president

Jack Shafer of Politico writes that Bloomberg News should cover founder Michael Bloomberg’s run for president in 2020 if he decides to run.

Shafer writes, “Bloomberg’s disinclination to have the reporters on his payroll write about him comes from the recognition that they know him better than the average journalist. If Bloomberg really thinks that nobody is going to think that his news organization is independent of his influence, he could easily remedy that by placing it in a trust before he announces his candidacy but leaves them with one final order to report the hell out of this Michael Bloomberg fellow. If Bloomberg News reporters were to follow through and break real news on him, these questions of independence would vaporize overnight.

“In hopes that Bloomberg takes my advice, allow me to give his reporters a starter list of story ideas. No Bloomberg profile is complete without noting that he refuses to adhere to any set of political principles. For instance, he was once a vehement critic of ethanol subsidies. But in his Radio Iowa interview, he said he now thinks ‘ethanol and biofuels are a part of the mix.’ He was a lifelong Democrat who ran successfully for the New York City mayoralty as a Republican before becoming an independent in 2007 just in time for his last term. In October, he re-registered as a Democrat once again! This isn’t a crime. Many politicians have flipped to another party in their careers, but show me somebody who has flip-flop-flipped his way to the presidency.”

Read more here.