A short interview about ethics I conducted with staff writer Paul Grondahl of the Albany Times Union

1. Aidan Bean
Journalist Assignment
Journalists often have to face ethical and moral dilemmas in their reporting. A journalist’s
personal opinion on sensitive topics can often come through in their writing and what they choose to
report. Paul Grondahl, one of the top writers at the Albany Times Union, had a few stories to share
about what he chooses to report, relating to his own personal set of ethics. He also spoke of an instance
in which his ethical limits were put to the limit.
Grondahl became a staff writer at the Times Union in 1984 and was tasked with reporting a lot
of major news stories at the time, but also turned down several opportunities to further his career. In
1986, the film “Ironweed” was being filmed around the Albany area and the Times Union approached
Grondahl about searching the garbage cans outside main actor Jack Nicholson’s temporary residence in
the area, as reports were coming in about him dating co-star Meryl Streep and they wanted him to fish
through and see if he could discover evidence about the relationship.
“I couldn’t do that,” he said. “I realized it could further my career, as I was still fairly new at the
time, but it seemed too tabloid to me. It went against my morals, not to mention it could get me into
some trouble if I were caught.”
He states that his personal set of ethics when it comes to reporting is, ultimately, how he’d want
to be approached if a reporter were to talk to him. “I approach people like I’d want someone to
approach me or my kids,” he said. “I treat people not like they’re a source of information, but like a
family member or friend.”
Which can sometimes lead to trouble in Grondahl’s case a couple years back.
“I became friends with this family who had a son in solitary confinement, and I wanted to do a
story about this confinement and how they treat these prisoners and the family agreed to let me do a
report on their son, but the prison only allowed direct family members. So I posed as his family member
to be allowed access.”
Grondahl stated this is the only time his ethics were pushed aside to get a good story. “I
probably wouldn’t do it again,” he said. “The stories came out fantastic, but I felt guilty about it for quite
some time after.”
Overall, however, he considers his own set of ethics to be much different than that of other
journalists, in the sense that he cares for everyone he interviews and reports about.
“I never go out of my way to get a story I know I can’t have,” he said. “I never put lives in danger
or push the boundaries of what’s considered right or wrong just to get a story. Everyone needs to be
treated with respect.”