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Local TV personality Bonnie Behrend has yet to throw her hat into the race for Aspen’s mayor. (Contributed photo)
ASPEN — Bonnie Behrend hasn't announced her bid for Aspen mayor yet, but she's already in a scrap with one of her opponents' PR firms.
The former CNBC news anchor, now a broadcaster for Aspen TV, was scheduled to conduct a television interview with mayoral candidate Tim Semrau on Thursday. But when the Darnauer Group LLC learned Thursday that Behrend is considering a run for mayor, it pulled the plug on the interview, which was to telecast next week.
Jeannette Darnauer, who runs the PR firm, said Behrend has no business interviewing Semrau if she's thinking about a run for mayor.
"If you're going to be running for mayor, it's not journalistically appropriate to be interviewing a candidate," Darnauer said.
The former CNBC news anchor, now a broadcaster for Aspen TV, was scheduled to conduct a television interview with mayoral candidate Tim Semrau on Thursday. But when the Darnauer Group LLC learned Thursday that Behrend is considering a run for mayor, it pulled the plug on the interview, which was to telecast next week.
Jeannette Darnauer, who runs the PR firm, said Behrend has no business interviewing Semrau if she's thinking about a run for mayor.
"If you're going to be running for mayor, it's not journalistically appropriate to be interviewing a candidate," Darnauer said.
Behrend, however, called Darnauer's decision to cancel the interview a "dirty campaign move."
"She [Darnauer] not only didn't check with her candidate, who knew full well I was considering a run for office, before calling the station, she didn't have the personal courtesy to call me directly," Behrend wrote in an e-mail.
Her e-mail continued: "[Jeannette] is claiming journalistic integrity. I say this is a small town and full disclosure before the interview was the only requirement. I can still perform my job and had fully planned to state my intentions and role and keep it [the interview] about Tim, giving Tim full broadcast time and access."
Darnauer, who once was the station manager of KSNO and is a former journalist herself, said, "Small town does not mean we should forget about the principles of journalism."
"She [Darnauer] not only didn't check with her candidate, who knew full well I was considering a run for office, before calling the station, she didn't have the personal courtesy to call me directly," Behrend wrote in an e-mail.
Her e-mail continued: "[Jeannette] is claiming journalistic integrity. I say this is a small town and full disclosure before the interview was the only requirement. I can still perform my job and had fully planned to state my intentions and role and keep it [the interview] about Tim, giving Tim full broadcast time and access."
Darnauer, who once was the station manager of KSNO and is a former journalist herself, said, "Small town does not mean we should forget about the principles of journalism."
Darnauer said when she ran for the Aspen school board in the 1980s, as general manager of KSNO "I removed myself from covering any issues related to the school board."
Behrend, Darnauer said, should do the same.
"I suggested that she call NPR to see what they would do," Darnauer said.
A professor with the Poynter Institute, a St. Petersburg, Fla., think-tank and school for journalism, said Behrend should avoid any type of conflict of interest, whether it is real or perceived.
Behrend, Darnauer said, should do the same.
"I suggested that she call NPR to see what they would do," Darnauer said.
A professor with the Poynter Institute, a St. Petersburg, Fla., think-tank and school for journalism, said Behrend should avoid any type of conflict of interest, whether it is real or perceived.
"In a sense you are covering yourself," said Al Tompkins, who teaches broadcast ethics. "And you have to choose whether you want to be in journalism or you want to be in government. They are both honorable positions, but you can't do them both at the same time."
Tompkins likened Behrend interviewing Semrau to NBC anchor Brian Williams running for president and interviewing competing candidates.
"It just doesn't work," he said.
Behrend said since she hasn't announced her candidacy, her interviewing of Semrau should not be an issue.
Rick Carroll can be reached at rcarroll@aspentimes.com.
Tompkins likened Behrend interviewing Semrau to NBC anchor Brian Williams running for president and interviewing competing candidates.
"It just doesn't work," he said.
Behrend said since she hasn't announced her candidacy, her interviewing of Semrau should not be an issue.
Rick Carroll can be reached at rcarroll@aspentimes.com.
