Time for the Times to Clear the Air

In Scranton, news and politics have always lived next door to each other. That’s fine — as long as there’s a clear fence between the two. When people start wondering whether that fence is still standing, it’s time to take stock.

Over the past week, social-media threads and local talk-radio segments have buzzed about the photo that moved from Scranton School Director Bob Casey’s phone to the cell phone of Times-Tribune journalist Chris Kelly, and then straight to the Paige Cognetti for Mayor/Congress campaign. The discussion has touched on reporter conduct, campaign messaging, and how easily a single image can change context once it leaves a newsroom.

For those who missed it, School Director Bob Casey’s long Democratic record was questioned by Wendy Wilson of the Cognetti campaign after Casey spoke with Cognetti’s opponent, Congressman Rob Bresnahan, at a local rally. Setting aside the “crime” of simply talking to someone you disagree with, the way this was handled by the mayor’s representative has sparked a broader debate about professionalism and boundaries. That debate isn’t helped by rumor or blame — it is helped by clarity.

Good journalism runs on ethics — honesty, fairness, and independence. The Society of Professional Journalists’ code puts it plainly: reporters should “avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived,” and “be accountable and transparent.” Those aren’t lofty ideals; they’re the guardrails that keep the public’s trust on the road.

If the Times-Tribune has rules about how reporters handle source-provided material, this would be a good time to explain them. Doing so would quiet the speculation and remind readers that local journalism still plays by its own code. If Chris Kelly, who has a long track record of being an uncritical cheerleader of Cognetti, is working directly with the her Mayoral and/or Congressional campaign(s), the public needs to know in the interest of transparency.

Scranton lives on straight talk. The city’s readers expect it from their paper just as much as from their politicians. When questions of independence arise, the answer isn’t silence — it’s transparency.