Student forced to choose between J-School Buzz and The Missourian

J-School Buzz
Kelly Cohen, editor-in-chief of J-School Buzz, an independent, student-run blog about the Missouri School of Journalism, had to choose between working for the blog or The Missourian because of the newspaper’s conflict of interest policy. The Missourian doesn’t allow its paid staff and students in staff classes to work for other local media. Tom Warhover, The Missourian’s executive editor for innovation, said in an email to Cohen that working for J-School Buzz could also “run afoul of prohibitions against participating in groups that seek to influence public policy.” In response, J-School Buzz Founder and Publisher David Teeghman wrote that the site will “be reporting and writing and ranting about the … antiquated conflict of interest policies.” Nick Castele pointed out on Twitter that this type of policy isn’t uncommon in the student media world.