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Carl Lindemann's Collins Connection Posted Sept 1, 2007: I will be writing more here (and elsewhere) about Dutson's conflicts of interest as a "citizen journalist" soon. In the meantime, let me share how I worked through a similar situation. First, let me take this opportunity to disclose my previous connections to this story. In 1996, I was working as the morning host on now-defunct WCDQ-FM in Sanford, Maine. As it happened, the Portland Press Herald was sponsoring a local debate with the candidates in the Senate race as part of its "civic journalism" initiative. I covered the event for my morning newscast. Then-candidate Susan Collins made a pledge to serve only two terms if elected. I saved the tape - I like to see if candidates keep such pledges. Fast-forward six years. I wrote Senator Collins to see if she planned on keeping her pledge. In a letter dated September 6, 2002, she confirmed that she did: "I am proud of the accomplishments I have made during my first term, and I hope to have the opportunity to serve the people of Maine in the Senate for another six years. I intend to serve only two terms as I indicated in the Sanford forum six years ago." I wrote an op/ed piece about the significance of her commitment that was published in the Portland Press Herald on October 7, 2002. Based on some of the reasons expressed in that piece, I decided to make a campaign contribution to her opponent in her reelection race on October 24. Now, this history sets the stage for explaining how I handled a journalistic conflict-of-interest. While I was involved in my "citizen journalism" public discussion of the Senator in 2002, I was doing occasional on-air fill-ins on a news-talk radio station, WGAN-AM in Portland, Maine. I also did occasional news pieces when they wanted to enhance local coverage. Election Eve is an "all hands on deck" situation at any news-talk station. I was expected to help out. The tough question was - which campaign headquarters should I be assigned to cover? I fully apprised the news director of my connections to the Collins/Pingree Senate race and we agreed that both campaigns were off-bounds. Instead, I drew Peter Cianchette's, the GOP candidate for Governor. How did I do? No one complained about my coverage. In fact, the WGAN team was honored by winning the 2003 Maine Association of Broadcasters news award for best election coverage - besting the powerhouse NPR affiliate. This makes for an interesting footnote, given my current issues involving the Maine Heritage Policy Center - MHPC is made up of many former Cianchette staffers who were at the event. With my professional work in broadcast journalism, trade writing, and high tech public relations, I have managed similar ethical issues. I've turned down lucrative, high profile work because of possible problems. I try to be cautious and conscientious. Are there conflicts of interest? It appears that bloggers, not knowing what the boundaries are for professional journalism, have no problem jumping back and forth from "reporting" to PR and promotion. Rather than raising the bar by demonstrating the value of "independent" media, this demonstrates (to paraphrase Dutson) "the hearty pandering of Maine's new media."
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