Editor’s Facebook post draws ethical concerns

When a leader of a local newspaper used social media to post apparent endorsements of specific candidates in two of Owatonna’s city races, the reaction was split – even among those running against the endorsees.

On July 30, Annie Harman, associate editor of the Owatonna People’s Press (OPP), shared the Facebook post of a candidate running for city council’s Ward 2. The original post contained what appears to be a campaign flyer and includes the candidate’s photo.  Above the shared post, Harman wrote, “(the candidate) loves this community and believes in its potential!”

Two days later, she posted a photo of one of Owatonna’s four mayoral candidates standing in front of city hall, his campaign slogan printed below.  Harman wrote, “Hey, it’s (the candidate)! And he has what it takes to represent all Owatonnans fairly and equitably and help us continue working toward the community we are meant to be!”

There's no indication either candidate asked Harman to make a post.  Screenshots of the posts were sent to employees of the Steele County Times by multiple people.  One source called it “inappropriate;” another asked if we could report it to a media ethics board.  The posts remained up until Sept. 17, when a Times reporter emailed OPP Publisher Kevin True about the concerns.

True said it “is an internal matter that you are addressing, and (Adams Publishing Group) does not discuss personnel issues publicly.”

According to Kelly McBride, senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at The Poynter Institute, “in American journalism, all ethical standards reside at the news organization.”  She asked if APG/OPP has “an ethics policy that requires that staff keep their politics private.”  True did not respond to an email asking about such a policy, but an online handbook seems to indicate the company does.  In the section about social media guidelines related to “social media use for professional and personal use,” the handbook says, “journalists should be careful in what they reveal about their private lives, especially opinions and political persuasions.”   It goes on to say, “journalists must refrain from making racist, sexist or political statements.”  While acknowledging that many of the company’s journalists “wear multiple hats … they should weigh more carefully what they choose to post through social media, so they don’t compromise their position as an objective reporter.”

The majority of the candidates in the two local races at hand seem to believe the OPP hasn’t been compromised.

“While I respect Annie Harman’s right to express her personal views on her private social media, I trust that the Owatonna People's Press will continue to uphold journalistic integrity and provide fair and objective coverage for all candidates throughout the election,” said Don Rooks, who is running for mayor.  “I appreciate the opportunity to comment and remain focused on my campaign and vision for Owatonna's future,” he said.

Jane Kirtley, professor at the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the U of M’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said “the use of social media by journalists is fraught… Anyone who thinks a ‘private’ Facebook page is truly private is kidding themselves.”   The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, she said, “stresses the need to act independently and to avoid conflicts of interest.” 

Candidate endorsements by news organizations, Kirtley said, are not unethical, “but I would say that bumper stickers and yard signs supporting particular candidates are problematic.”

The Facebook posts, she said, could be considered the “digital equivalent.”

Ward 2 candidate Don McCann said he doesn’t see a problem with “a private individual endorsing a candidate. It is her right to do so.”  He went on to say he “would expect as a journalist (and) as a respected local newspaper they would be unbiased in their reporting of the news and print the facts about the candidates and their views, and objective(ly) cover the candidates that are running for office.  “If they wanted to write an editorial, that is their choice,” McCann said.

Dave Gerhartz, also running for Ward 2, disagreed.  “It’s like she’s supporting” the candidate, he said. “There was no need to repost it from another page.”  Asked if he believes he will receive fair coverage from the newspaper, Gerhartz said no.

Two other mayoral candidates, Don Kramer and Jason Bastyr, both said Harman had the right to endorse whoever she believes in.  “I’m optimistic that the OPP will offer unbiased coverage, giving the community the information they need to select the best fit for mayor,” Bastyr said.

Dr. Stacey Woelfel, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri School of Journalism at Columbia with a doctorate in political science, taught young journalists for 35 years.  “It seems crazy that, in 2024, a journalist is making the case … that her personal Facebook page is a place she can post political opinions and that it would somehow not be connected to her work as an editor,” he said.  “It’s quite outrageous and clearly neither appropriate nor ethical.”