A “conflict of interest” (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial interests, personal or other interests, one or more of which could possibly influence the motivation of the individual or organization.
A person or entity avoids a conflict of interest by:
- a.) not engaging in activity that might be conflicted by a duality of interest, or
- b.) disclosing the potential conflict – allowing associated parties to be aware and decide independently if the conflict is influencing behavior.
In essence, when presented with a potential conflict of interest, be truthful and provide full disclosure.
If unsure, err on the side of full transparency, and do so as soon as the conflict presents – don’t wait.
This becomes the generally accepted best ethical practice to avoid potential issues that may arise as a consequence of conflicted interest; especially financial conflicts.
♦ Recently, the financial payments by political entities upon media personalities has created quite a stir. When CTH revealed (from FEC filings) financial payments by Political Action Committees to media pundit Erick Erickson (and others), the response was to besmirch CTH for revealing the payments.
The response to the sunlight reveals more about the entity engaging in the scurrilous conflict than it does about the entity who exposes it. The reaction is intended to distract from the original issue, and generally reveals what everyone already knows: if there’s nothing to hide, and no issue inherent, then why was the conflict never disclosed?
It can most certainly be true that Eric Erickson is, as a matter of pure position, ideologically aligned with Katie Packer (Our Principles PAC), and therefore a natural benefactor of advocacy/advertising payments from Packer to Erickson. This is not disputed, nor is it an issue.
The conflict arises when Erickson does not reveal his political punditry positions are also gaining financial benefit from those who align with him ideologically in common purpose against their mutual opponent, candidate Donald Trump.
As a consequence, when financial reports reveal (two months delayed) that Mr. Erickson received $15,000+ from “Keep the Promise” and “Our Principles” PACs’, and then immediately thereafter begins a #NeverTrump social media campaign – well, it doesn’t take long to see how they could be related.
If the financial conflict was stated earlier, before or immediately after the transaction transpired, there wouldn’t be such an issue.
As much as George Will is an insufferable tool of the professional republican party establishment; on several occasions of punditry Mr. Will revealed his wife was working for Governor Scott Walker’s presidential campaign.
Mr. Will, by revealing the possible conflict, avoids the conflict of interest trap, and allows the audience to review his opinions through the prism of transparency. That’s the way ‘conflicts’ are supposed to be handled.
♦ When Fox News broadcasts a presidential debate and the executive in charge of producing the content (Bill Sammon – below left), is also the person who directly approves the questions from the moderators, and is also the father of the national spokesperson (Brooke Sammon – below right) for Marco Rubio – one of the candidates – Fox News has an obligation to reveal the conflict.
Just because Fox News chose to not disclose the conflict of interest does not mean the conflict of interest does not exist. Exactly the opposite is true – there is a clear conflict of interest when the executive in charge of the debate (Dad) is directly related to a person who may benefit from the debate outcome (Daughter).
The lack of disclosure says more about the ethical perspectives of Fox News executives than it does about the person or entity who brings sunlight upon the conflict.
♦ When Fox News pundit Megyn Kelly receives a $10 million dollar book deal from Harper Collins, which is also owned by Rupert Murdoch the Chairman of Fox News – and a person who has engaged in political advocacy as a direct consequence of his influential position – the viewing audience should be made aware the possibility of conflicted interests carried by Megyn Kelly as she opines her pundit opinion with the same political advocacy as her financial benefactor.
Fox employee Megyn Kelly and Fox Owner Rupert Murdoch may hold the same coincidental opinions as a consequence of their similar world-views; However, there is a financial bond which presents a potential conflict of interest and therefore should be revealed to the consuming audience.
Failure to do so says more about the professional ethics of Kelly and Murdoch than it does about anyone who would challenge them to be transparent in their business arrangement.
These undisclosed conflicts become increasingly problematic when Fox News holds further undisclosed content shaping executive meetings with Senator Marco Rubio and broadcast pundits on the topic of immigration reform.
Absent of honest disclosures the motive(s) inherent in the content delivered and political policy discussion becomes questionable.
♦ The same problem exists for Salem Communication radio talk show host, Hugh Hewitt who takes a lead role in setting up an exclusive Marco Rubio interview for radio hosts only, and then telling the Salem Co employees how they are to deliver their punditry to benefit Senator Rubio’s immigration platform.
When Hugh Hewitt and the company corporate vice-president, Tom Tradup, tells the radio hosts (Mike Gallagher, Katie Pavlich, Mark Davis) and peers they are not allowed to challenge the orthodoxy of the Salem Communication advocacy agenda on behalf of immigration (early 2014) – an automatic conflict of interest is presented.
Salem Communications Group also owns RedState, HotAir, Twitchy, Human Events, TownHall, and BearingArms – It is not coincidental these websites are all engaged in the transmission of the exact same message and points of advocacy.
♦ When the chairman of Glenn Beck’s charity group, David Barton – Mercury One, is also an executive in charge of a Pro-Cruz “Keep the Promise” Super-PAC another network of possible conflicts arise.
Yes, it is true the network of affiliated media and political groups may just form a natural alignment as a matter of ideological familiarity. However, that does not mean the entities within the arrangement lose their responsibility to tell the consuming audience about their inter-connected financial affiliations.
Again, it’s not for the person or entities within the conflict to decide whether or not full disclosure compromises their intended activity. If perspective influences the decision to reveal the conflict – the conflict is even more in need of disclosure.
♦ The ‘personal conflict aspect’ is where media personality Mark Levin appears to be uncomfortable with disclosure and seemingly became agitated. Levin failed to reveal his fiancé’s son was a full-time staff member for Senator Ted Cruz. We noted his agitated state after he made the admission on air.
Long before Mark Levin began endorsing Senator Cruz he should have revealed the personal conflict of interest. It is always better to reveal a conflict before it surfaces because the lack of disclosure implies something to hide. Occam’s razor would reveal it was far more likely Levin didn’t want his radio audience to become aware of his divorce. Not disclosing the connection to his fiancé’s son – appears to be a personal decision driven by emotion.
No-one in the disappointed listening audience ever said the soon-to-be son-in-law doesn’t have a right to work wherever he chooses, of course he does. The issue is the political pundit having a personal familial connection to the advocate of his voice – and not revealing the relationship.
Again, like all conflicts of interest, small issues can become much bigger credibility issues when they are not disclosed. Mark Levin’s entire business model is almost exclusively based around the premise of paid opinion/punditry. In that profession there is an even greater burden to disclose anything that might appear as a conflict of interest.
The appearance of impropriety can evolve to become impropriety by itself.
♦ Another more brutally obvious conflict of interest lies with Ben Shapiro and the foundation for another media enterprise “The Daily Wire”. The billionaire Wilks Brothers put up the money to start the Daily Wire for Mr. Shapiro; The Wilks Brothers also funded Keep the Promise III PAC to benefit Ted Cruz. Mr. Shapiro now writes exclusively pro-Cruz material on his outlet, and attacks any Cruz opposition.
It can be factually accurate that Shapiro just likes Ted Cruz and so too do the Wilks Brothers. Shapiro’s opinions and media presentations -including appearances on Megyn Kelly Fox Show- may have nothing to do with the political opinions of the people paying him.
However, again, when it comes to conflicts of interest, disclosure matters. Why doesn’t Ben Shapiro give a George Will type disclaimer and openly say: “the billionaires backing my punditry enterprises are also financially backing Ted Cruz”. The disclosure eliminates much of the conflict and allows the audience to be objective in considering the opinion.
In the current climate of highly-charged political opinion, simple honest disclosures can avoid many of the inherent issues. Conversely, the refusal to present simple and honest disclosures increasingly implies there is an agenda behind the punditry.
The modern era of almost instantaneous communication, along with exponentially more modern internet resources to find data at its origin, is creating increased cynicism and skepticism each time one of these hidden conflicts are dragged into the spotlight. A political pundit can lose credibility literally overnight.
Those who derive their income from the delivery of information would be far better served doing everything they can to support transparency and honesty – rather than align themselves with those who hold ulterior motives in the vain hope they will not be discovered.
We’re witnessing what happened with the 19 Trillion. They took it, we pay it back. Isn’t it nice?
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MARK LEVIN also did not disclose that he sold in bulk purchases his book “Liberty and Tyranny” to the Senate Conservative Fund to donors who gave $25 which has paid him $427,000 so far…….McConMan and his senate has made Levin alot of money……
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I would like to leave a hopeful note of encouragement. I think I listened to a bit of Hugh Huwett tonight. (Not sure who it was)…someone who was a Cruz supporter who was saying how terrible Hillary was. She is the real enemy and it would be very awful to have her in office…bla bla. How awful to have us mad at each other. Lets be friends. (Translation: please come back to the dark side or I might lose my job). We should unite to defeat Hillary.
Just as when Donald Trump and Ted were both “outsiders” it was now pointed out they have both taken delagates. Therefore Donald=Cruz and we should be happy.
I heard the same thing earlier from Jeff Kuhner.
(Confession here: I can only stand to listen for a few minutes so these were very short snapshots).
Conclusion: They are getting uneasy with the fact that they are burning bridges and under no circumstances will many of us support them any longer. We are not listening and we will not vote for Cruz or for any Republican unless Trump cleans up the party.
They have come up with new talking points. Use humor and tone down the insults to bring us on board with them. They want to welcome us aboard the gravy train BECAUSE it might have finally occurred to them that while they have been planning the demise of Donald Trump they may have instead participated in burying themselves.
Gravy train is going down. Trump train is taking the high road to victory.
Trump or bust 2016.
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You are delusional to think they will give up the hunt for power and the task of stopping Trump.
Poison doesn’t change to balm. They are toxic and poison.
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I did not intend to leave that impression but to convey the fact that I think that they are beginning the process of courting us and are changing tactics to do so. It does not mean that I believe that they will ever give up.
My point is that neither should we. We are having an effect and are able to impact them in significant ways. I also hoped to alert people to be alert to their efforts to “be nice”. I believe it is self-serving and most insincere. Talking points, to me, are a form of mind control and are deceitful and manipulative.
You are right. They are poison. I remember the snake.
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‘ RINO Antivenin is becoming a new tool of the followers of the “Trump Syndrome”, as it will become refreshed with each faltering step of the “Cruz Cruisers”. “No More Lawyer CINC’s” especially ‘Cuban-Canuck Sleepers’. We took them in from the ‘cold’, nurtured them, restored them, hugged them and they ‘bit’ with deadly force and intent. But we are alive and well, as the ‘delegate antivenin’ newly surges through the arteries of our “electoral body”–The People.
(“And I ain’t talkin’ ‘refugees’ here, Pilgrims”)
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Their task is to stop Trump.
Our task is to burn their F’in party down to the ground.
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The Global Elites & their GOPe~~with their Pundits ARE Poison & will STILL Work Tirelessly~~~ to take TRUMP down. However, They are about to LOOSE their American Empire. They will Continue their Fight to DESTROY this COUNTRY.
But ALAS! The “Cat” is out of the Bag & TRUMP ~~Will Win!
After Colorado~~the NATION knows that the GOPe is totally “Corrupt “& on the side of Evil. Up until now~~they have Hidden it under the Banner of “Perfect Conservatism”~~& criticized {heavily}~~ anyone that questioned their “Fraudulent Process”~!{The MEDIA did a Lot to foment that~!}
From now on:~~ Manafort can go into all the States where TRUMP has won & will Win~~& be able to Get all the Delegates BACK,~~ or Keep the ones he gains, from the Actual Votes TRUMP obtains. It will be OPEN & Real & “Legal”, not Fraudulent like in Colorado~!
Agree that the GOPe & DNC Unitparty & their Minions are Toxic & Evil ~~~but the “Sunlight” is now “Shining” on the “Poisonous MESS”, that They created,~~~over All of these past years~!
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They have buried themselves. I keep hearing that Trump & Cruz are both outsiders and the party hates them both. Even Rush says this. It is a total lie. I am so disappointed with Rush. I can’t listen to any talk radio anymore or watch any news programs. It is so obviously propaganda.
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Rush Limbaugh’s job is and always was to make sure those who attempt to avoid the social engineering get it through him. He was always a total fraud. But this day he has truly exposed himself. Well, he got his rewards, including his trophy chick. Not bad for loud mouth, fat @ss from Missouri.
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Got that Right~!
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It was a rude awakening for all of us, conservative voices bought and paid for by establishment!
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Well, it’s clear that the Duper PACs are temporarily using Cruz – who, like Kasich, has no mathematical path whatsoever to the nomination – and that they have ABSOLUTELY given up on trying to convince the voters. If the voters in a hard-left state like Wisconsin happen to fall in line, fine and dandy – but their focus is now on winning over the party insiders for their RomneyCancer ideology.
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I listened to Hannity for about 30 minutes today. He sounded panicked today. IMHO, I think he’s been scheming to broker some type of truce between Trump and Cruz. He sees that the Colorado backlash isn’t going away. His voice was strained and he was practically pleading and begging people to think of the bigger picture of defeating Hillary.
Too late Sean, the Bounty is ablaze there’s no going back.
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I’d like to believe that Hannity wants to stop shilling for Cruz but he can’t because of his position at Fox. The only basis for that belief is that he-despite being so joined at the hip with anti-Trump Fox-is the most pro-Trump mainstream pundit besides Savage.
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The fact is that NONE of these talk radio hosts or news websites like Breitbart should be shilling for any particular candidate. Once that happens they alienate half their audience and the show or site goes down the tubes. Then we conservatives have one less outlet for news that the mainstream media won’t discuss. These hosts and news sites CAN treat the 2 frontrunners equally, but increasingly they do not not because they all have financial conflicts or in the case of Levin, also a personal conflict, that frame their choices for the program or site.
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Erick Erickson was one of the people who wrote pieces for the “Against Trump” issue of National Review that was published on January 21. In the article, he stated that he was against Trump but would support him if he became the nominee. I actually sort of respected Erickson for his position, as it was the same position taken by Mark Krikorian of Center For Immigration Studies, and someone I have followed on Twitter for some time.
Toward the end of February, Erickson became #NeverTrump. I was shocked. It was a complete reversal, and I think Mark Krikorian was shocked as well. What happened in between January 21 and February 27 to change Erickson’s mind? Trump had not done anything new or different in between those two dates to alienate people.
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Lots of money being offered to destroy Trump is what happened.
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Noticed the same with Rush. It all took place about 6-8 weeks ago.
Weird, huh?
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He got payed off……Erickson is a No talent big mouth, he is taking money from establishment pac!
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The guy who burned his republican registration in frustration with Colorado GOP:
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That’s so cool. It’s heartening that Mr. Trump did that.
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Trump = Class Act
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Remember Trump send out Christmas Cards too.
Never, ever saw that from any other candidate, or politician.
Did get an FB Birthday wish from my DC republican rep.
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I got 2, apparently because I placed two separate orders on his web site for merchandise. I took one over the my Father’s house and put it on their Xmas tree!
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I did the same with my second…
That was the neatest gift I felt I had last year..
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You know…me too. I thought it was the classiest thing I’d seen from a stranger in ages.
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Its not the cost that matters in a gift. Its the thought.
Was it Trump who started it, maybe or maybe not.
what mattered to me is that it was done by his people.
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It was not only classy, but just plain nice.
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Really nice….
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Hey Sundance. What do you make of The Federalist’s hit piece on Larry W. Lindsey? I’d love to know your thoughts!
Here:
http://thefederalist.com/2016/04/12/colorado-trump-voter-who-cried-foul-was-told-of-county-assembly-never-showed-up/
and here:
http://thefederalist.com/2016/04/11/colorado-proves-donald-trump-cant-handle-the-rigors-of-a-campaign/
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Middle Class has lost jobs, income, healthcare, pensions, 401ks, saddled with costs of illegals and drug crimes, buried in Federal debt and are being f*cked over in the delegate crimes, making their votes useless.
Cruz and Kasich are running against the Middle Class. Their entire purpose is to hurt the Middle Class with permanent changes and perpetual debt and depression of the economy.
Cruz and Kasich are thieves, stealing from everyone, their children and grandchildren.
Cruz and Kasich are two blackhearts, evil and traitors to Americans.
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Damn no wonder Lying Ted is running from the FEC.
Hopefully Lying Ted will be running from more after tomorrow’s NJ court decision. Not sure a state can handle it, but we will see.
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If one State…just one…declares Lyin Ted ineligible, then it sets a precedent for others to follow.
So far, other states such as IL have simply delayed making a ruling.
They’re probably hoping that they won’t have to deal with it, if Cruz doesn’t get the nomination.
But if just one state rules that Ted has lied about his eligibility, then others will have to take a look at it too.
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They kept denying due to no precedence. Well the NJ guy is doing a Write-in
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Sundance, it may just be my phone or wordpress, but just like this thread says 104 responses, but only a handful are shown.
I enjoy the comments section, and it seems so abreviated now. Disappointed.
Thank You for all you do.
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This is page two…the other comments are there, but they’re on page one.
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Thanks Wheatie. I’ll have to figure how to get back to page one on phone. Not successfull so far.
The Refuge makes long work nights go by so much better.
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There’s a clicky link at the top & bottom of the comments that says…”<–Older Comments”.
It is in a smaller font, so perhaps you’ve overlooked it.
When page two gets full, then there will also be a clicky link that says…”Newer Comments–>”…which takes you to page three.
And so on.
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Your great.
Thanks again from an old fogie.
Doubted I’d make it to fogie.
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So the theme amongst the corrupt press is that Trump is “crying foul” over what happened in Colorado this past weekend. Just like the pathetic propagandist tools that they are, they rinse and repeat over and over again.
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Yeah…the meme-of-the-day is to call it “whining”.
In other words, they’re blaming the victim for talking about how he was victimized.
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Disgusting
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The picture of those disgusting men in their underwear is very much a reminder that perversion is a reality among some politicians/media who are actually kept in line and in position by being blackmailable. Sickening speciMEN who are so anti-USAmerican.
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“As you listen to this programming, remember that Mark R. Levin, Esquire, the host of “The Mark Levin Show”, is receiving payments from XYZ organization, which is a pro-‘Ted’ Cruz Political Action Committee. This reminder brought to you by the ABC organization, dedicated to exposing the hidden financial ties between media pundits and political action committees. See http://www.ABCorganization.org for full details. Now, back to The Mark Levin Show.”
THAT is an effort I to which I would gladly contribute money…
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Deep within the bunker….
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Me too. Great idea.
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Yet another Brilliant article.
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OK, SD’s excellent analysis (this one) made it to the Daily Caller via Roger Stone 😀 Excerpt below:
‘GOP Establishment Money Funding Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Erick Erickson To Attack Trump’
” The Conservative Tree House blog exposed the financial nexus supporting prominent “conservative” pundits to promote in their media outlets Ted Cruz as the last, best hope to block Trump in Wisconsin, a state considered by the Washington-based GOP establishment as perhaps the last establishment firewall to block Trump from the GOP presidential nomination.”
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/04/08/gop-establishment-money-funding-mark-levin-glenn-beck-erick-erickson-to-attack-trump/#ixzz45b3BsRdr
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I stand corrected, Roger was referencing an earlier blog that SD did on March 30th, (not today’s) titled: ‘Erick Erickson Website “Resurgent” Paid By Pro-Cruz/Anti-Trump “Our Principles PAC”… ‘ Mea culpa.
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From1998
Newspeople as ‘buckrakers’ By serving as sponsors, corporations can control content of news programs
Through major donations to both parties, companies such as ADM and GE seek a narrow political debate that won’t impede environmental waivers, tax breaks or subsidies. And through major sponsorship of TV and radio programming, these firms seek a narrow media debate that leaves out tough scrutiny of corporate influence over the political process.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-01-25/news/1998025004_1_corporate-welfare-david-brinkley-adm
https://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~wright/ContemporaryAmericanSociety/Chapter%2019%20–%20The%20Media%20–%20Norton%20August.pdf
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How much news content is controlled by having” Flo” from Progessive Insurance appear every five minutes on any channel you happen to watch? The possible scenario
is evident: Progressive agrees to massive commercial purchase, as long as the viewpoints
stay completely in line with it’s uber liberal owners. The other firm appearing almost as frequently? Geico. Owned by Buffett.
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“Major news outlets”, in other words, are secretly running corporate advertisements disguised as news. It makes me wonder: how many news organizations took money from Big Pharma to censor the truth about the CDC’s vaccine science fraud whistleblower? How many got paid to falsely claim all vaccines are safe and effective? How much money does the biotech industry spend to buy fabricated articles in the mainstream media or pay off “scientists” to claim the GMO science is “settled”?
http://www.naturalnews.com/049027_Coca-Cola_payola_scheme_corporate_propaganda.html#
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Howie, the only slogan which comes to mind for me is from one of my favorite shows. The X-Files – “Trust No One.” And that refers to our government and/or corporations. The all mighty dollar and profits means more than integrity, our safety and well-being, we are expendable.
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a veteran local news reporter in Florida, who covers the Jeb Bush government as part of his beat, was simultaneously taking tens of thousands of dollars through his own private company from various Jeb Bush government agencies for public relations work and film editing services;
What other instances of payola journalism don’t we know about? How pervasive is this practice becoming? Is there any wonder that newspapers, journalists and news organizations poll so low among Americans?
http://orwellsgrave.blogspot.com/2005/12/payola-journalism.html
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Coming soon…The Alan Freed News Hour on FOX.
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Transparency is a key to the 21st Century.
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Now i understand why michael savage is ignored mercer kats wilks he threatens the gop dnc. Genius Sundance
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