The Tampa Tribune's coverage of pollution issues at an area plant prompted a published exchange last month with its metropolitan rival, the St. Petersburg Times, over a question of journalistic ethics. Both newspapers devote considerable attention and staffing to environmental news (also see article from June 2003 issue).

On September 24, the St. Petersburg Times article reported that in more than 30 stories since mid-July on the Coronet Industries factory, the Tribune had "failed to disclose one head-scratching fact: Its top editor is married to a man who was a manager at Coronet -- until he was laid off last year."

The Times article was headlined "For Tribune coverage, a question of disclosure." It reported that James Reed, married to Tribune managing editor Donna Reed, had been Coronet's manager of plant logistics and manpower planning until he was laid off in 2002.

Both James and Donna Reed "denied contributing any information about the plant to the Tribune's coverage" of Coronet's environmental problems, the Times reported. Donna Reed told the Times she had "nothing to do with" the Coronet story, except to help decide where articles would be placed in the Tribune.

The Times story quoted two university specialists on journalism ethics, who suggested it would have been better if the Tribune had disclosed the fact that Reed's husband had been a manager at the Coronet plant. The facility makes an animal food supplement from phosphate.

In addition, the Times article asserted that the Tribune's coverage of the plant "has been notable at times for its omission of what would appear to be key information." It citeda September 18 Tribune article that reported the discovery of elevated pollution levels in more wells without mentioning that “authorities were relieved by the findings” because they indicated an isolated problem.

The same day that the Times article was published, the Tribune affixed a "Note to Readers" from its president and publisher, Gil Thelen, to the bottom of another article on Coronet. This article reported that Florida's chief environmental regulator had ordered an internal investigation into his agency's enforcement record at the plant.

In his note, Thelen said that "an out-of-town reporter" had been inquiring about Donna Reed's involvement in the Tribune's Coronet coverage. He then noted that the editor was married to Jim Reed, who "worked primarily with personnel issues" at Coronet until leaving the company.

"Jim Reed was not the impetus for the Tribune's inquiry," Thelen added. "On the contrary, reporter Deborah Alberto began looking into environmental issues near the phosphate plant when people who live near it raised questions about a planned housing development. Further, the Tribune has not relied upon any anonymous sources to cover this story."

He said it was "a stretch to suggest" that Jim Reed's former employment constituted any conflict of interest for Donna Reed.

The exchange between the two newspapers was reported in the Romenesko media news column on the Poynter Institute's website. Poynter, a "school for journalists, future journalists and teachers of journalism", owns the St. Petersburg Times.