NPR Now Allows Its 'Journalists' To Be Activists

National Public Radio this month said its reporters will now be permitted to take part in public partisan demonstrations and activist events of which the news service approves, reports Just The News.

In a revision of its internal ethics handbook, the outlet said that its journalists may now participate in "marches, rallies and other public events" from which they were previously barred. 

"NPR editorial staff may express support for democratic, civic values that are core to NPR's work," the policy states, "such as, but not limited to: the freedom and dignity of human beings, the rights of a free and independent press, the right to thrive in society without facing discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, disability, or religion."

The policy is a marked shift from NPR's earlier rule on such activity, which held that its writers "may not participate in marches and rallies involving causes or issues that NPR covers, nor should they sign petitions or otherwise lend their name to such causes, or contribute money to them."

Keeping clear of public displays of political affiliation has been a time-honored tenet of professional journalism, one that has been practiced by most major news outlets, in varying ways, for many decades. 

The Society of Professional Journalists in its codes of ethics stipulates that journalists should "act independently" and "avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility."

Yet elsewhere the SPJ has offered a more equivocal interpretation of that dictum: In one of its ethics case studies, the organization examined an incident in which a gay reporter faced professional fallout for attending a gay pride parade.