The chairman and chief executive officer of Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., which owns KSTP-TV in Minneapolis, responded to the #Pointergate statement made last month by the Society’s Minnesota Pro Chapter.
In the letter dated November 26, Stanley Hubbard stands behind the controversial report that aired last month on the ABC affiliate.
Much of what Hubbard writes is covered in previous posts to this blog (here and here). However, it’s important to point to Hubbard’s comment at the beginning of the letter’s third paragraph.
Putting aside the question of whether it is an appropriate role of the Chapter to decide whether any particular new story should or should not air, we acknowledge that our reporting resulted in a great deal of criticism.
The Society’s Code of Ethics says journalists should “expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations.” Journalists and news consumers should be active in raising concern over news coverage that does not adhere to the profession’s best practices. There is no question about that.
Here is Hubbard’s full response via the Society’s Minnisota Pro Chapter, which will co-host on Monday “a panel discussion on the recent Pointergate issue in our local community.” Click here for additional details.
