Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
This from poster who signed in as Michelle Gifford:
Some people are so darn quick to judge things they do not know or understand.
I know Charu and worked with her on a daily basis as her photographer. I think the world of her and would stand up for her integrity and her ethics! People want the truth…lets not forget, this man called the station becuse of his beliefs and was prepared to present his point to the masses, including smoking the pot…he believed that smoking marijuana should be legal in medical situations.
I am sorry that her attempt to report a different angle of the medical marijuana debate turned out to focus more on a promising news reporter and her desire to present more than just the “officals” take on the debate, than on the issue of the legality and necessity of med. marijuana. I hope that you will understand that Charu is a very dedicated journalist and has to overcome many obsticles to present news.
She is a great person, friend and journalist and I would compell you to think about those things before you pass judgement and ruin a career that means as much to her as does yours to you. In support of Charu, I remain. Michelle
My reply
Michelle, thanks for your passionate response. We’re not trying ruin anyone’s career. We’re talking journalistic ethics, a discussion that’s already playing out in public in a federal courtroom and in the pages of Ashvegas’ daily newspaper.
The power to do the right thing lies squarely in the local TV station’s court. The only person ruining Charu’s career is Charu.
All we’re asking for is fairness, plain and simple. We’re asking the station and the reporter to be fair by promising to keep a source’s identity confidential, and then keeping it confidential, if that’s the agreement.
Be fair by reporting the full story, including the court hearing you were a part of and that resulted in the source being thrown back into jail.
Be fair.
i had the ‘pleasure’ to work with charu on several occassions at one of her previous stations (not saying where).
was i shocked to see the comments from others at her station complaining about her writing and having to clean up after her?
hell no. it’s been a long time coming.
i have never worked with someone who always had all the answers.
nor have i ever worked with someone who was so condescending to about everyone she came into contact with. she doesn’t realize how she comes off as talking down to people.
one guy told me she was trying to sue a station over harrassment. but being ever so brilliant she first consulted the station’s attorney on their law show first. smart move!
what side is the attorney on einstein????
if she can’t pronounce someone’s name she gives the person a new name or a new way of saying it.
The fact that the station has ignored this story, which, to repeat, got its subject tossed into jail (!!), is an embarrassment — or, should be, to any self-respecting journalist.
But most of them aren’t journalists — they’re news readers with bad pronunciation.
Michelle,
If you are a photojournalist, than you know that asking someone to do something so you can photograph it is unethical – asking someone to do something illegal so you can photograph it is even more unethical. Standard 5 of the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics reads:
“While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.”
If someone is truly committed to building a career as a respected journalist, they won’t build it like this. If Charu is everything you say – she’ll take responsibility for it, learn from it and become a better journalist as a result.