Open Letter to the Publisher, Managing Editor & Ass’t Managing Editor of the CDA Press

"Are there journalistic ethics required by the CDA Press of your staff reporters?

Are these ethical canons bedrock to your organization or are they conditional?

If your answers are “Yes” and “bedrock,” you will need to take action regarding a CDA Press reporter who has violated your standards and is compromising your brand and reputation.

On February 20, 2025, CDA Press Reporter Kaye Thornbrugh was representing the CDA Press at the monthly board meeting of the Community Library Network.

I was in the audience as an observing citizen at that same meeting and had given public comment early in the meeting. At that meeting, Kaye Thornburgh, acting on behalf of the CDA Press, was seated directly behind me and was recorded on video as standing up behind me and blatantly looking over my shoulder more than once, ostensibly to see what was on my phone; video file attached.

Be it known that Kaye Thornburgh has never introduced herself to me nor I to her, so we do not know each other and have never spoken. I only know of her as a CDA Press reporter because I have seen her many times representing the CDA Press at various local meetings. So, there is absolutely no legitimate reason for her to have been looking over my shoulder.

With these actions, Ms. Thornbrugh clearly seems to have violated several of the internationally accepted journalist’s ethics according to the 2019 Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists by the International Federation of Journalists [Source: ifj.org].

“This international declaration specifies the guidelines of conduct for journalists in the research, editing, transmission, dissemination and commentary of news and information, and in the description of events, in any media whatsoever.”

Multiples of these conduct violations were committed by Ms. Thornbrugh in her actions toward me at that 2/20/25 meeting:

#2 “ … the honest collection and publication of news.” There’s nothing honest about surreptitious and unannounced collection of my private information.

#4 “The journalist shall use only fair methods to obtain information, images, documents and data and he/she will always report his/her status as a journalist and will refrain from using hidden recordings.” Surreptitious and unannounced attempts to collect my private information can in no way be considered a fair method of obtaining information.

#8 “The journalist will respect privacy. He/she shall respect the dignity of the persons named and/or represented and inform the interviewee whether the conversation and other material is intended for publication.” I was not being interviewed by Ms. Thornbrugh and nor did she ever seek or receive my permission to look at my phone.

#15 “Journalists worthy of the name shall deem it their duty to observe faithfully the principles stated above.”

So, since the CDA Press employs Ms. Thornbrugh, regardless of whether full-time, part-time or as an independent contractor, she was acting as an agent of the CDA Press at the 2/20/25 meeting. In light of these violative actions, how can you consider Ms. Thornbrugh to be a “worthy” journalist representing your organization?"

So with these blatant ethical violations and questionably legal activities by Ms. Thornbrugh, what will be your next steps in this regard? Will you accept these violations and highly unethical behavior and allow the erosion of your organization’s credibility and reputation? Will Ms. Thornbrugh escape accountability with a mere “wrist slap” and a simple reprimand in her employee file? If so, the public and I will never know because you’ll surely assert that’s “personal employee information.” That means that the CDA Press would value Ms. Thornbrugh’s privacy more than mine. Why then would the public have any faith in the CDA Press’s journalistic integrity if Ms. Thornbrugh’s behavior is allowed to slip by? Alternatively, if the CDA Press doesn’t negotiate regarding journalistic integrity, what will you do to redress this situation?

In the meantime, I am seeking legal counsel in this matter.

Additionally, this letter and video are being widely circulated locally so Kootenai County residents can see how CDA Press reporters conduct themselves. Citizens and your readers can then decide for themselves whether they consider your publication to be ethical and reputable. Thankfully, we have alternative options here for the news media.

The photo below confirms that it is I in the video with Ms. Thornbrugh.

Anticipating your response,

Marianna Cochran

Rathdrum, ID