NYT'ers donations: Obama the clear winner

This diary is cross-posted to my blog, where you'll find lots of my history tracking reporters' FEC files over the years.

I used to be against journalists and folks on the corporate side of mainstream media outlets making donations to candidates and political action committees, because I believed everyone in journalism should be above even a hint of partisan bias, but my views have evolved on the matter. Asking reporters and their corporate bosses to curtail their right to give money to political races is an infringement on their First Amendment protections, is now my view.

I would prefer that the corporate media allow political giving and simply inform their audiences when reporters or executives have made contributions, and the amount given, in an easy to find page on their web sites.

In any case, the New York Times strictly forbids only editorial staff from making donations to candidates and causes, as spelled out in rule No. 90 of the paper's code of ethics:

   90. Staff members may not themselves give money to any political candidate or election cause or raise money for one. Given the ease of Internet access to public records of campaign contributions, any political giving by a staff member would risk feeding a false impression that we are taking sides.

Using the term "New York Times," I searched Federal Election Commission records available just for the current election cycle on the Congressional Quarterly MoneyLine site and 17 contributions were returned.

The only people on this list who probably are in violation of the Times' prohibition on donations are Chester Higgins and Wendy Moonan, and neither of them covers the presidential race, so I don't see a huge ethical lapse here.

However, I think it's anecdotally interesting that of the all the donations made by anyone from the Times in this election cycle, Barack Obama received the most money.

Here's the breakdown of presidential donations. Obama: $4,072. Giuliani: $2,300. Clinton: $500. Biden: $250. McCain: $200.

From FEC records:

   

Higgins, Chester A Jr
   Brooklyn, NY 11217
   The New York Times / Staff Photographer

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $1,300, 02/28/2008

   Higgins, Chester A Jr
   Brooklyn, NY 11217
   The New York Times / Staff Photographer

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $1,000, 02/14/2008

   Horowitz, Diana
   New York, NY 10028
   The New York Times / Advertising Manager

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $300, 03/27/2008

   Horowitz, Diana
   New York, NY 10028
   The New York Times / Advertising Manager

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $250, 03/11/2008

   Horowitz, Diana
   New York, NY 10028
   The New York Times / Advertising Manager

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $250, 03/06/2008

   Kostiw, Lorraine
   New York, NY 10002
   The New York Times

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $250, 02/13/2008

   Kulaga, Thomas E Mr.
   New York, NY 10011
   The New York Times / Creative Director

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $200, 02/21/2008

   Seymore, Stanley
   Piscataway, NJ 08854
   The New York Times / Information Tech

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $273, 02/06/2008

   Webber, Richard
   Morristown, NJ 07960
   The New York Times / Executive

   OBAMA, BARACK (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $250, 02/01/2008

   -

   Kashwick, John
   Closter, NJ 07624
   The New York Times / Financial Analyst

   CLINTON, HILLARY RODHAM (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $250, 02/09/2008

   Kashwick, John
   Closter, NJ 07624
   The New York Times / Financial Analyst

   CLINTON, HILLARY RODHAM (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $250, 10/25/2007

   -

   MCCOY, RON MR.
   ATLANTA, GA 30306
   NEW YORK TIMES / MANAGEMENT

   MCCAIN, JOHN S. (R) (Presidential candidate)
   $200, 01/24/2008

   -

   MOONAN, WENDY LYON MRS.
   SAG HARBOR, NY 11963
   NEW YORK TIMES / WEEKLY COLUMINIST

   GIULIANI, RUDOLPH W. (R) (Presidential candidate)
   $2,300, 05/08/2007

   MOONAN, WENDY LYON MRS.
   SAG HARBOR, NY 11963
   NEW YORK TIMES / WEEKLY COLUMINIST

   GIULIANI, RUDOLPH W. (R) (Presidential candidate)
   RUDY GIULIANI PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE INC

   $2,300, 05/08/2007

   [Ms. Moonan gave an equal amount to the primary and general election accounts of Giuliani, but in February her donation for the general race was refunded, so her actual revised total amount given is $2,300.]

   -

   Tschinkel, Simon
   New York, NY 10016
   New York Times / Sales

   BIDEN, JOSEPH R JR (D) (Presidential candidate)
   $250, 12/21/2007

   -

   Baker, Diane
   Brooklyn, NY 11201
   The New York Times / Financial Executive

   Rep. Lowey, Nita M. (D-N.Y.) (Incumbent, 18th District)
   $250, 03/20/2007

   Fowle, Farnsworth
   Bronx, NY 10463
   The New York Times / Retired Reporter

   DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE
   $230, 01/19/2007