Sports journalists have higher ethical standards than news reporters

How can I say that? Easily.

Sports reporters, when attending games, are not allowed to:

1. Cheer openly for a team when in the press box
2. Wear apparel supporting one team
3. Ask for pictures/autographs with players or coaches after the game.

If a reporter does this, I can guarantee that they wouldn’t have a job for very long. Of course, reporters covering a certain “beat” develop relationships with teams, their players and coaches — that’s obvious. But the good ones keep it to themselves.

Compare and contrast this attitude to the UNITY convention wrapping up in Chicago this weekend. It’s a meeting of about 4,000 journalists representing the four major minority journalism associations in America.

Barack Obama held a town-meeting style sppech/Q&A there today. You can watch it on CNN. What was said isn’t important (it’s the same old, same old). I don’t care about the content — But I do care deeply about the reaction of the audience….let me reiterate, it’s 4,000 journalists.

I have several friends in attendance who were embarrassed by their fellow “objective” and “unbiased” reporters. Prior to the speech, a speakers panel discussed the ethics of political reporting — telling told the crowd to keep it respectful, professional and in no uncertain terms overtly cheer for Obama. The CNN producers even told the audience to tone it down because “it was going out on national TV” (I guess they didn’t want to show the obvious bias either).

But of course, all of that went out the window once the presumptive democrat nominee arrived. My friends report their fellow journalists giving Obama several standing ovations. Many also pushed and shoved after the speech to shake his hands and take pictures, much like pre-teens at a Hannah Montana concert.

The confrence wraps up today. And these same people will go back to their newsrooms to report the news of the day. Many of these are the same people who will report, produce and make the news on the political campaign.

If they are so overtly cheering for Obama amongst their peers, how can that not reflect in their reportage? How can they claim righteous indignation when people like myself call them on their obvious media bias.

For those of you, my fellow news-people — Shame on you. You didn’t act professional, you acted like groupies. I hope throwing away your ethical standards was worth that digital snapshot or signature.

You should go ask the sports department about how to report an event like this, because you obviously need a refresher course.

EDIT: Tip of the hat to Michelle Malkin, who noticed this as well.