Conflict of interest at APSE?

Re: APSE results next week?

He should withdraw.

 

Re: APSE results next week?

It's not about "leaving for a dot.com."
I have no problem with the Yahoo guy.
It's taking a check from one of the institutions we cover.

 

Re: APSE results next week?

He could choose to withdraw, though, or at least recuse himself from any role that involves any input in decision-making, such as contest judging. The onus isn't entirely on APSE. Jim may well understand "separation between church and state," but will the next person or the person after that? He can do a great service by setting an important precedent and honoring that separation.

 

Re: APSE results next week?

I would not be so brash as to mess with anything as hallowed and respected as the APSE bylaws, but are you kidding? As someone said previously, this is not even a close call. If you're in, you're in. If you're out, you're out. How can any organization -- even a back-slapping, conflict-riddled, old-boys' club like the APSE -- pretend otherwise?

 

Re: APSE results next week?

I hope that a little more outrage than this develops. If bloggers, for example, who love to point out hypocricy in the "MSM" sniffed this one, they would have a field day. And they would be right. How can the news media that killed John McCain for his alleged relationship with a lobbyist turn around and have an employee of Major League Baseball, which we are already accused of protecting through the steroids mess of the 1990s, judging our most prestigious sports writing contest?

I'll digress now, because I've made my point. I'm sorry, but ethics outweigh friendships and cronyism. You guys have to see past Jim being a good guy (again, never seen him, never met him) and realize that he shouldn't be judging this competition.

 

MLB.com's Jim Jenks and APSE awards

I think an important topic is being lost in the APSE thread.

Jim Jenks, a sports editor of deserved renown, is now working for MLB.com.
However, as a past president of APSE, he is attending the APSE judging convention this weekend.

His inclusion was defended this way by Jerry Micco:

"The APSE bylaws state that past presidents, of which Jim was one, are lifetime members of the organization. I don't believe we've ever had this situation, but it's not lost on the membership that Jim's employer is someone we all cover. As someone who had Jim as one of his officers (for a short time) and has worked with him for a few years, I can tell you Jim knows the separation between church and state. And he's a bright guy whose ideas make the organization better. The vast majority of APSE members also know this is a bit of a sticky wicket for us. It's a legitimate point to bring up and bears watching. But unless we change the bylaws and make it retroactive to a certain date, Jim will stay in the organization as a member of the executive committee. "

This decision has been greeted with what I think is deserved criticism and the suggestion has been made, with which I agree, that Jenks should take the step to remove himself, regardless of the bylaws. Obviously, the bylaws didn't anticipate the growth of websites such as MLB.com.

Micco's rationalization of Jenks' inclusion is weak.

Nothing against Jenks, but his being there, and APSE's condoning it, weakens its credibility.

 

Re: MLB.com's Jim Jenks and APSE awards

You're absolutely right. Now Jenks is in the online realm, he'll have forgotten what makes a great sports section, and wouldn't know great writing if it bit him in the arse.

 

Re: MLB.com's Jim Jenks and APSE awards

That part is irrelevant. It's his employer - Major League Baseball. If he went to Yahoo! or Rivals.com or the WWL, it's a totally different story. The medium isn't what matters here, it's the conflict of interest.

Maybe we can bring Bud Selig in to judge, as well? He's by all accounts a good guy.

 

Re: APSE results next week?

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Appears at the bottom of pretty much every piece writted by mlb.com's reporters. mlb.com may be the league's website, but the league doesn't have a lot of control over what stories get run. Here's the story they ran on the Clemens press conference with the McNamee recording.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080107&content_id=2341075&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

As one who has judged and been a part of the lengthy and unappreciated process, it would be easy to spot a conflict of interest. I don't think there should be any problem with Jenks on this -- he hasn't forgotten newspaper journalism overnight -- but it does raise questions for the future. I think any former APSE prez has earned the right to judge, and you'll get called out quickly if you abuse it.