Salary databases - good for the goose, good for the gander
March 14th, 2008 by BryanThe editor of the Sacramento Bee is fending off criticism about the state employee salary database the Bee has put online. This is not the first time public employees have objected when their salary information has been put on display for all the world to see. But it’s instructive. “Public” information gains a whole new meaning when it’s “worldwide.”
FWIW, I think any newspaper or media outlet that is going to put the salary data about public employees online should be willing to put its own salary data online. How much does the editor of the Bee make? How much does a beginning reporter make? I imagine the beginning reporter salary would be a bit sobering.
But the newspaper is a private corporation! You say. So? The newspaper traffics in the language of public trust. We wrap ourselves in the First Amendment every chance we get. We’re supposed to be the watchdogs. Let’s act like watchdogs and be transparent about our own conflicts of interests, economic details, etc.
That goes for college media too. If you’re going to be outing the budget for the SGA, then you’d better be prepared to out the budget for student publications.
