Why Is Obama Hiring Former Journalists? Is This Ethical?

Yup, no liberal media bias here, no conflict of interest at all. Seems like the logical progression for those who worked for the Obama campaign to take jobs with the Administration.

Indeed, the media has already been "working" for Obama years.

The Politico reports:

In three months since Election Day, at least a half-dozen prominent journalists have taken jobs working for the federal government. Journalists, including some of those who’ve jumped ship, say it’s better to have a solid job in government than a shaky job — or none at all — in an industry that’s fading fast.

But conservative critics answer with a question: Would journalists be making the same career choices if John McCain had beaten Barack Obama in November?

“Obama bails out more media water-carriers,” conservative blogger Michelle Malkin wrote upon hearing that the Chicago Tribune’s Jill Zuckman is taking a job with the Obama administration.

Blogs at both the Weekly Standard and the National Review are pointing to a “revolving door” that spins between the media and the Obama administration.

And while Brent Bozell, president of the conservative Media Research Center, acknowledges that financial troubles may be forcing reporters out of newsrooms, he thinks it’s worth noting where they’re going.

“When some leave journalism because of a reduction in staff, what’s the natural landing spot?” The Obama administration,” Bozell charged. Zuckman says it’s not so.

Jake Tapper provides the full list:

Zuckman becomes at least the fourth reporter to join the Obama administration. Others include former TIME Washington bureau chief Jay Carney who is now Vice President Biden's communications director, former Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Gosselin who is now a speechwriter for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and former Washington Post deputy editor Warren Bass who is an adviser to United Nations Ambassador Dr. Susan Rice.

Former ABC News congressional correspondent Linda Douglass became a senior strategist for the Obama campaign, while other campaign officials included former CNN producer Kate Albright-Hanna and former CNN correspondent Aneesh Raman.

There is also talk, of course, of CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta becoming surgeon general.

From Weekly Standard:

Of course, none of this should call into question the objectivity of these
former newsmen. As Time's Jay Carney put it, he doesn't see his gig as Joe Biden's spokesman "as a partisan job at all."