Following the bombshell reporting, journalistic advocates have also spoken out
“In all the talk about the threat to our democracy, someone forgot to articulate that free, open, objective, and transparent press is an essential component of the building blocks to preserve our democracy’s integrity.”
President of the National Black Church Initiative, Rev. Anthony Evans, said the group will “support Rev. Sharpton’s suspension until the investigation is complete” however, they look at it as a matter of moral code.
“Rev. Sharpton is loved and admired by many in our coalition, but that does [not] take away from the fact he is facing significant moral and journalism ethics [concerns] regarding this payment or donation to the National Action Network,” Evans said.
“We will continue to pray for him.”
Following the bombshell reporting, journalistic advocates have also spoken out about how the relationship between Sharpton, often appearing as a political commentator, and MSNBC can be looked at as a conflict of interest which could lead to distrust from viewers and “places a black eye on both their network and the profession.”
“This kind of entanglement harms the credibility of the journalist, the news organization, and journalism overall, and credibility is difficult to restore,” the media ethics group, the Society of Professional Journalists, said.
“While Sharpton may not consider himself a journalist, many viewers do.”
More news of scandals wrapped up in political bias is the last thing MSNBC needs. According to The Telegraph, the network received major backlash after it was revealed media personality Rachel Maddow was being paid $25 million a year following a contract renewal.
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Source: Black Enterprise
