“Do journalists have a duty to report on the sexuality of so-called ‘glass-closeted’ gay people? They do if those people are powerful, says Felix Salmon of Reuters,” Ken Fisher writes for Ars Technica. “Media attention on powerful gays and lesbians, even those in the closet, is a social good because it promotes and celebrates diversity, he argues. If it is inspirational to millions to see a gay person at the helm of an illustrious company, Salmon believes we have an ethical duty to not to gloss over the sexuality of such a person, even if that person has never publicly “come out.” To fail to do so, Salmon suggests, can be unethical, because it’s dishonest.”
Fisher writes, “It is impossible to discuss this debate without discussing its genesis, and that means visiting upon the private life of the man who is at the center of the debate: Tim Cook. The former COO of Apple is now filling Steve Jobs’ running shoes as CEO, which makes him massively powerful in tech and, for many, a hero. Cook has chosen not to discuss his private life; very little has even been gossiped about Tim Cook’s personal details, and facts are few and far between. Still, there is a consensus that Cook is gay (Salmon cites the “‘public realm’ as his source) but, without Cook being open about it, it’s something journalists can only speculate (or gossip) about based on other less solid sources.”
Fisher notes, “I can’t help but notice that this now makes two Apple CEOs in a row where the press has struggled to define limits covering their private lives.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We stand by our Take from January 21, 2011.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Kristian” for the heads up.]
Related article:
Gawker’s Valleywag outs Tim Cook as ‘most powerful gay man in Silicon Valley’ – January 21, 2011
No. Hit wh0re.
How is this even a story?
As soon as we get over the gay vs straight debate the better. We’re all people.
Yes, and commuinist too.
People’s private lives are not anyone’s business. As a stockholder and long time customer I couldn’t care less who Mr. Cook hits the sheets with.
NO BODYS BUSINESS AT ALL! Unless its a reporter that needs to be outed
What a shameful, classless way to exploit the situation. Only a low-life would do it.
I note that people have said sexuality is private and to some degree it might be. However, no-one would say that outing someone as heterosexual would be a violation of privacy or would be inappropriate. If there were a newspaper article stating that Steve Jobs was heterosexual and happily married, then no-one would consider that disgraceful.
Whether one considers outing someone as gay as being disgraceful depends upon one’s view of homosexuality. For those who consider homosexuality to be equal to heterosexuality, outing someone as gay is as invasive (or not) as outing someone for being heterosexual. Those who consider that it is something lesser may consider that it is in an invasion because it is a detriment not to be exposed without consent.
WHY do you think it’s even any of your business? You sound like a rethuglicon Washington staffer who got your training under George Wallace or Rick Perry..
Go away you mental midget and pedal your hate somewhere else!!
I seriously doubt that any of these ‘columnists’ would be motivated by a strong moral impulse such as duty.
Everyone just leave Tim Cook and Anderson Cooper alone.
They are nice people.. That’s all we need to know.
Pseudo journalists (read that, tabloid hacks) are not bound by “duty”, they are driven by sales and ego. Or worse, they are driven by some hypocritical, bigoted agenda to “out” anyone not meeting their standards of what a true “person” is. Only a bigot thinks any phrase like “Mary’s a !@#$ and she’s !@@$, what a great example for all the !@#$ out there” is positive.