Do journalists have a democratic right to participate in the public / political process, including running for office?
There have been numerous examples of journalists seeking public office. Some relatively notable ones include: • Ralph Klein – as a Senior Civic Affairs reporter for CFCN Television and Radio in Calgary, Klein was able to use his position to significantly raise his public profile and reputation. After 11 years Klein left his reporter position to run for mayor, and won. • Peter Kent – the Global Television VP for news first ran for the federal Conservatives as a candidate and lost. He returned to Global – still in a senior editorial capacity. He ran in a different riding and won the seat Fundamentally a journalist has and should have the same democratic right as any citizen to seek public office or express personal beliefs, including political ones. Journalists are not expected or required to take some vow of political chastity when they take up the profession. The real question becomes: if and when they do exercise their fundamental political rights, do journalists have special responsi
