CPB ombud presses WAMU for more info about journalist-donor events

In his latest post, CPB Ombudsman Joel Kaplan presses WAMU in Washington, D.C., for more transparency about interactions between its donors and journalists. “The public deserves more from WAMU,” Kaplan wrote. “It deserves to know exactly what is going on in its newsroom and at its donor conferences.” Kaplan urged the station to release transcripts, records of attendees and other information related to such events, and he suggested the station offer video streams of any future panel discussions that its journalists put on for donors, such as a recent “Meet the Producers Breakfast.”

Kaplan’s focus on WAMU comes after the resignation of News Director Jim Asendio, who objected to the Meet the Producers Breakfast and refused to attend.