The Houston Chronicle’s Steve Olafson has been writing a Weblog that criticizes his own newspaper and offers opinions on news that he covered. But rather than be honest with his readers and editors, he did so anonymously, under the pseudonym “Banjo Jones,” The (Clute, Texas) Facts reports. It’s generally not acceptable for journalists to spout opinions on issues they cover — but doing so anonymously makes this a serious ethical violation. The Weblog has since been shut down, but for the curious, here’s a cached version of it. He has been fired.
The BrazosportNews is not shut down. Olafson is better than ever.