Integrity

My very part-time, hourly gig doing some basic gathering, organizing and disseminating of information for HSU Department of Theatre, Film & Dance productions, limits what I can write about HSU shows in the Stage Matters column I write for the North Coast Journal, which is also a very part-time gig, paying a flat per column rate, with no benefits or expenses.

I was hired for both gigs at roughly the same time, and both parties knew of the other possibilities before I was hired, and both knew and approved of my commitment to not review HSU shows in my column.

Out of some 32 columns, I wrote something substantial about HSU shows in four, with this basic disclosure. Conflict of interest is a complex issue, and there are many factors involved, particularly in terms of ordinary practice here in Humboldt. I’ve been writing and editing professionally for about 35 years, and my integrity has always been important to me. I’ve made some substantial sacrifices based on principle, and in general I believe my past supports my ethical commitment. I understand the difficulties and I certainly feel the awkwardness of this situation, but basically, my conscience is clear. As conflict of interest is also a matter of appearances, I leave those judgments of what the Journal publishes to its editors.

But I do face the dilemma of a different sort of conflict as theatre columnist: between the appearance of a conflict of interest, and my responsibilities in covering North Coast theatre. To put it simply, no column that purports to cover North Coast theatre can possibly ignore HSU theatre. In terms of quality, of its unique contribution in the plays and the theatre it does, and its place in the theatre and general community, it must be part of the mix, just as Dell’Arte is, or North Coast Rep or Ferndale Rep. I want to be fair to all, and that means being fair to HSU as well.

But in the past year or so, I discovered that if I did not write about HSU theatre, then nothing about these productions appeared in the Journal. That’s a disservice to Journal readers as well as to all the people involved in HSU theatre and dance. It’s especially missed since the Journal lives in Arcata, and so does HSU.

Recently I took this concern to my editors at the Journal, and received their assurances that they will make an effort to ensure that somebody covers HSU theatre in its pages. So I don't have to write about it in the Journal, and that particular conflict issue won't pertain.

My writing about North Coast theatre is still incomplete without writing about HSU. (Plus they do plays there, and plays are what I like writing about best. There are only so many ways I can describe juggling or evaluate somersaults.) So I will continue to write about HSU shows here in my online space. I am master here, and I know my interest in plays and performance, writers and actors, etc. far outweigh my supposed financial self-interest based on a review.

I initially posted a much longer discussion of conflict of interest issues, and many more details about myself. But upon reflection, I decided to simply make this statement and move on.