By:
February 1, 2007

By Justin Baer and Michael White
Bloomberg.com
Published: 1/29/2007

Excerpt:

The fallout from Citigroup Inc.’s ouster of executive Todd Thomson over his relationship with CNBC television anchor Maria Bartiromo is spilling into the profession of journalism, where professors don’t like what they see.

Bartiromo traveled from Asia on Citigroup’s private jet last year after Thomson, who headed the company’s brokerage and private bank, bumped Citigroup executives from the flight, said a person with knowledge of the matter. Thomson approved a $5 million sponsorship for a television series Bartiromo was to co-anchor. She also was named to the Leadership Advisory Board that Thomson founded at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia.

Thomson was interviewed by Bartiromo at least three times, including once since she joined the Wharton board. That gives the public reason to question whether they’re getting objective reporting, said Bob Steele, who teaches journalism ethics at Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“To say these are personnel matters and shouldn’t be talked about publicly would be disingenuous when journalism itself is all about shining the light of scrutiny on powerful people,” said Steele. “It’s essential that she and CNBC address these issues.”
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