INDIANAPOLIS PAPER ADMITS ETHICAL LAPSE

By: Joe Strupp Column Clarifies Advertising Deal With Tennis Tournament



The Indianapolis Star on Sunday told readers it had engaged in an ethical
breach by allowing the subjects of two special sections to sell
advertising for them, while guaranteeing a 'fixed level of coverage'
in the newspaper for a tennis tournament that was the focus of a section.



In a lengthy column published July 16, Ted E. Daniels, associate editor
for reader relations, described the ethical mistake that occurred when
the newspaper allowed representatives of the annual RCA Championships
tennis tournament and the Indy Jazz Fest to sell advertising in sections
devoted to their respective events.



'While it didn't affect our coverage [of either event], the situation
still represents an ethical lapse,' Daniels wrote. 'I believe the people
from advertising and marketing when they say there was no deliberate
attempt to mislead the newsroom or jeopardize our editorial credibility.
Instead, the situation appears to be more a case of a lack of
communication and a lack of understanding about the appearance of a
conflict.'



The tennis tournament deal included a side agreement in which The Star
was named an associate sponsor of the RCA Championships in exchange for
promising the 'fixed' coverage.



Daniels stated that discussions among advertising and newsroom staff
last week about the two special sections led editors to review the
situation and provide a detailed explanation to readers. He wrote
that the RCA Championships' organizers had offered last week to
terminate the tournament's agreement with the Star if it would help
reduce the appearance of a conflict, a situation that the newspaper
is reviewing.



The potential conflict comes on the heels of last year's revelation
that the Los Angeles Times split profits from a special edition of
its Sunday magazine focused on The Staples Center sports arena with
the arena itself. The incident resulted in heavy industry criticism
of the newspaper, which recently was sold to Tribune Co.





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Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is an associate editor
for E&P.







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