Trib editorial policy question

TO: Stephanie Finucane, Opinion Editor, The Tribune

Hello Stephanie,

Howya been? : -)

Hey, something caught my eye at the bottom of a recent Tom Fulks column, at this link:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/tom-fulks/article51753295.html

... where it reads:

"The Tribune is seeking an unpaid freelancer to succeed conservative columnist John Peschong, who is running for county supervisor..."

Editorial-policy-wise, I'm a little confused by that statement.

My confusion stems from a story I published a couple years back, on my blog, at this link:

http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/2014/08/san-luis-obispo-county-supervisor-bruce.html

... where I show, using primary sources, of course, how local politicians, like Bruce Gibson, pay Tom Fulks tens of thousands of dollars to be their little "evil genius in the back room" (Gibson's phrase), where Fulks then sneaks around on the Internet (and elsewhere [wink, wink]) and character-assassinates (or at least attempts to character-assassinate) anyone (especially media-types) that are critical of Tom's clients.

And that's the source of my confusion. So, do I have this straight: According to the Trib's editorial policy, it's o.k. for a Trib local-politics-opinion columnist (i.e. Tom Fulks) to be highly paid by a county supervisor, for example, to do sneaky, "back room," uh... PR(?) for that politician (including in his Trib column), but not o.k. if a Trib local-politics-opinion columnist is actually trying to become a county supervisor, like former columnist, John Peschong?

Is that right? 'cause, I must admit, it really looks like that's the case, and, IF that's the case (and it really looks like it is), then that editorial policy has me scratching my head. I mean, of the two, wouldn't it be more journalistically honest to have the person that's trying to become a county supervisor be a local-politics-opinion columnist, instead of a sneaky, "evil genius in the back room," highly paid (by a county supervisor), professional spinster?

Sure, it's not the best journalism ethics to have a local candidate for public office also be a local-politics-opinion columnist, but that's WAAAAY better journalism ethics than having a sneaky, "evil genius in the back room," highly paid (by a county supervisor) professional spinster as a local-politics-opinion columnist, isn't it?

So, I guess what I'm looking for here is a journalism ethics lesson. Which one is worse: A local-politics-opinion columnist who's paid tens of thousands of dollars by local politicians to be their little "evil genius in the back room," where the columnist then sneaks around on the Internet (and elsewhere) and character-assassinates (or at least attempts to character-assassinate) anyone (especially media-types) that are critical of his clients, or a local-politics-opinion columnist that's actually running for office?

Apparently, according to the Trib, it's the latter.

Thank you in advance for clearing up my confusion on this issue,

Ron

P.S: This email automatically posted to my blog, SewerWatch, at this link:

http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/

Thanks again.

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