Politico on Tuesday joined the list of news organizations that have warned staffers against exhibiting their personal political beliefs on social media.
In a staff memo, Editor-in-Chief John Harris told journalists “to remember that we are ambassadors for a news organization with a nonpartisan mission.”
“It’s been an uncommonly emotional election season, with plenty of pointed fingers and frayed nerves, not just on the campaign trail but in the way ordinary citizens have engaged with their choices and with media coverage,” the memo reads.
Harris says that Politico staffers have a special responsibility to keep “our cool and (ensure) that our personal political beliefs are insulated from, and never interfere with, our professional duties.”
The New York Times and The Washington Post have also sent reminders to staffers in recent months reminding them to keep their social profiles neutral.
Here’s Harris’ memo:
Team,
It’s a historic day and the culmination of a couple years of exceptional achievement around this presidential election, not alone by the newsroom but by every department across POLITICO.
We’ll have a couple occasions this week to mark the moment, including the gathering for U.S. staff on Thursday evening at the Newseum.
For this morning, we would like to remind all POLITICO staff–in any department or any geographic location–to remember that we are ambassadors for a news organization with a nonpartisan mission. That’s especially important to keep in mind on social media.
It’s been an uncommonly emotional election season, with plenty of pointed fingers and frayed nerves, not just on the campaign trail but in the way ordinary citizens have engaged with their choices and with media coverage.
We have special responsibilities by virtue of working here, and these include keeping our cool and ensuring that our personal political beliefs are insulated from, and never interfere with, our professional duties.
Thanks,
John Harris
Robert Allbritton
Poppy MacDonald
