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Certainly, a conflict of interest doesn’t mean one can’t remain objective, but the potential for that conflict to color opinions should never be discounted. This is why judges recuse themselves from cases when they have a potential personal interest in the outcome. Obviously, reporters don’t normally avoid covering topics when a conflict of interest occurs, but readers should always be aware when such a conflict exists.
The WSJ has a clear conflict of interest in this case. Whether that impacted their reporting is not known, but their coverage has been hilariously over-the-top and at the extreme end of the spectrum, using words like “inquisition” to describe what is happening to Apple. As such, one should approach their coverage with a dose of healthy skepticism. Obviously, those who support Apple in this case will eat up those words, extreme hyperbole or not. But no matter where you stand, you should at the very least be aware the conflict of interest is there so you can better judge yourself whether there are other motives driving the coverage.
--Pat
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