Can you imagine a TV news Reporter standing at a polling place do a live report and in between live shots, picking up a sign and actively campaigning for a politician?

How about a Reporter telling covering a pro-life rally and then putting down the mic and starting to scream at a young woman as she walked inside a clinic?

There is a reason as a Journalist, you are to stay neutral on issues. It is about credibility for your job, your station, and the company you work for.

WUSA (DC) Sports Anchor Darren Haynes posted pictures of himself holding a sign and protesting in Washington, DC.

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This goes against everything that a Journalist is taught and it goes against all guidelines laid down for Journalists.

If Haynes worked at a bank, or some other job outside the media, there is no problem picking up a sign and joining protestors. But, when you become a Journalist, your job is to stay neutral. His actions also reflect badly on his station and his co-workers that are trying to do it right.

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Haynes works at a Tegna station and for the most part, Tegna has no problem with this kind of action. It is the same as talent at Sinclair stations posting how great a job Donald Trump is doing.

But, look at the Society of Professional Journalists, or the RTDNA, and ask them if they think it is OK, as Journalists, to pick up a sign and protest?

Tegna might not care, but the next station or network he wants to go to might have a bit higher Journalistic ethics than Tegna and that could hurt him.

What if another employee at Tegna wants to hold up a sign in complete and total support of the police? Or supporting Trump and his actions?

There is a reason that many media companies will not let their employees donate to political campaigns. It might not seem fair that you can’t financially support the candidate you like, but the rule is there to help you and the company appear to be non-partisan.

If you gave the current mayor $1000 for their re-election campaign and then you are sent out to cover the mayor’s opponent, do you really think people will believe you will give a fair report?

Last but not least, the viewers want you to give them the story, not your opinion. Your job is to tell the story, and let the viewers make up their own minds.

I completely get the frustration and I understand the action, but this is the job your signed up for and it comes with limitations as to what you can and can’t do.

But taking a stand one way or the other, the viewers can no longer trust you to report a story fairly.

Last but not least, posting this on social media shows that you want to once again, make this all about you.

It’s about the story, not about you.