Mayhill Fowler is an independent known by many. She made a name for herself by constantly covering the campaign trail, most notably the 2008 election. In her coverage, there were times she was criticized for questionable ethics, most notably the “scandals” she sparked surrounding then presidential nominee Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton. While she is a “citizen journalist,” she had the credibility of any journalist in the room. Despite that, when criticized, this is the box she’s put in. Critics are quick to point out that she’s an independent so that they can attack independent media as a whole, but they fail to acknowledge her stature as a political journalist, and they never criticize the people who say the outlandish statements that she posts.
The ethics in question are how she Fowler received her information. In both cases, those being interviewed did not know Fowler was recording. Suddenly that becomes a justification for what those involved said. These are public figures and politicians, every time they speak they should act like they’re being recorded. In an age where social media is so prevalent, even if it wasn’t recorded, it could have easily been plastered on twitter. Instead of attacking the journalist who are reporting direct statements, instead one should focus on what these politicians are saying, and applaud that they’re reporting what these politicians truly think.
filling in the gaps left by mainstream media 