ETHICAL NO-NO

NYT Columnist Resigns From Paid Job at Nonprofit Over Conflict of Interest

Brooks was being paid a salary for his work with the nonprofit, a fact he hadn’t disclosed when he wrote about the organization.

David Brooks, a star columnist for The New York Times, has resigned from a nonprofit he founded at the Aspen Institute after the newspaper said it presented a conflict of interest. Brooks failed to inform Times readers about his relationship with the nonprofit Weave and its funders, which he promoted in his columns. The Times says Brooks’ editors were also unaware he was getting a full-time salary from Weave. He will stay on as a volunteer for the nonprofit, a spokesperson for the Times told BuzzFeed News, but will give up the salary he was receiving.

On Saturday, BuzzFeed revealed that Brooks also promoted an app, Nextdoor, in media appearances without disclosing that the app had donated $25,000 to Weave. He also appeared in a video for a foundation that donated to Weave.