Thunder Pig

As Congressional elections approach, some media organisations are taking steps to limit the political activities of their reporters, personally and professionally.

This week, National Public Radio announced that its employees would not be allowed to attend the rallies planned for October 30 by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, the hosts of two satirical television news shows. The gatherings are a response to the “Restoring honour” rally in August, hosted by Fox News’ Glenn Beck.

In a blog post by the NPR communications department, the radio network explained that the company’s ethics policy states that employees “may not participate in marches and rallies involving causes or issues that NPR covers . . . This restriction applies to the upcoming Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert rallies.” NPR reporters covering the events are permitted to attend in a professional capacity.

Other media organisations have not explicitly banned employees from attending, but if many of their policies are strictly followed, they would not be allowed to attend the rallies, which imply political support.