Posted by chicagomedia.org on March 11, 2008 at 12:12:11:
An attempt by WLS-Ch. 7 weekend anchor Ravi Baichwal's wife to get involved in politics here despite being unable to vote because they are non-citizens has resulted in a journalistic ethics lesson for her husband, rather than the U.S. civics education she intended. But Baichwal is getting only a slap on the wrist for the lapse in judgment.
Baichwal, who came to Channel 7 by way of Canada in late 2006, was told by WLS management it was a mistake for his wife, award-winning broadcaster Sonja Nordahl, to use his credit card to give $250 in his name to Barack Obama's Democratic presidential campaign, a donation that can be found on campaign finance databases.
Notice of a second donation from the Baichwal household of $250, reportedly earmarked for Mike Huckabee's Republican run for the White House, has yet to surface.
Baichwal told his bosses he did not know of the donations until after the fact and didn't think it would be a big deal.
"It was an error in judgment," WLS station boss Emily Barr said, noting it was the sort of thing to be studiously avoided in the future because it might be construed as biasing station news coverage.