Reporter Catches Fire For Linking To Blogger’s MySpace

By Kleinheider Posted on August 4, 2008 at 9:07 am

The controversy over a Tyson Foods plant swapping out Labor Day for a Muslim holiday in deference to the Islamic presence in its work force took an interesting turn over the weekend.

Blogger Christy Frink, who took issue with a newspaper story on the subject and the accompanying comments beneath it, was “outed” as an employee of Catholic Charities of Tennessee by the reporter for the Shelbyville Times Gazette covering the story.

In an extensive blog post on the controversy and his experience covering related issues, reporter Brian Mosely, attempting to turn charges of bias on him around to his critics, used Frink’s MySpace, where she listed her employer, to call into question her objectivity on immigration issues.

The blogosphere was not pleased with the tactic.

Chris Wage:

The Times-Gazette is doing a fine job of reporting on this issue, but I’d advise Mr. Mosley to lay off the personal redirection and speculation. I get the impression he’s imagining he’s on the cusp of some pulitzer-winning expose of a grand conspiracy of charities to bring refugees into this country. Or something. He’s either doing so out of ignorance to the economic complexity and sheer magnitude of the situation or he’s being willfully naive in order to, as Christy suggested, stir up controversy with the local yokels (which he certainly has).

Stick to calling for reform, avoid insinuating vested interest and conspiracy on behalf of the organizations trying to help these people. Someone might mistake you for an insane person.

Mike Byrd:

Given that a reporters’ claim to objectivity is his or her ability to interview and to portray meaning or facts as close to the subject as possible, it might have helped Mr. Mosley to have done an interview with the blogger about her work before jumping to the conclusion that the vocation of social work itself engenders blinders.

Newscoma:

First of all, I have worked in Social Work myself. I wish that Mosely had linked to that site instead of her MySpace page, but that’s just me. He obviously took the time to dig around about Christy, but he linked to the wrong page if you ask me. That didn’t set well with me at all but he made his choice and put his name on it. He should have linked to the site he referenced regarding her employment. That way it would have validated not only her but him. She might have information that he doesn’t. See where I’m getting at.

It should be noted that the reporter in question, Brian Mosely, was a “victim” of what could be seen as a similar “outing” back in January when WBIR blogger Katie Granju linked up to Mosely’s personal blog to call into question his objectivity in his previous reporting.

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Tags: Brian Mosely, Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Christy Frink, Immigration, Labor Day, Muslims, refugees, Somalis