Reporter pulled for considering Akin support on Twitter

Playing “devil’s advocate” in support of Rep. Todd Akin has landed a Politico reporter in hot water (AP image)

Should reporters be allowed to express their own opinions on Twitter? It’s the question of the day after Politico pulled a reporter from covering the controversy of Mo. Rep. Todd Akin because he played “devil’s advocate” in support of Akin on Twitter.

“Poor phrasing, but if you watch the intv @ToddAkin meant to convey that there’s less chance of getting pregnant if raped,” Tweeted reporter Dave Catanese.

He subsequently got hammered by dozens of critics on Twitter and tried to explain himself in a series of followups. It didn’t go well.

“Re last night: Bad idea trying to have nuanced conversation on highly charged issue on here. Did not intend to take a side. Lesson learned,” he Tweeted.

In response, Politico Editor-in-Chief John Harris and Executive Editor Jim VandeHei announced they were pulling him from the story for crossing the line and injecting his own opinion into the story, The Washington Post reports. But Luke Burbank argues it’s more a beat down for the side he took, not for taking a side.

“I think this is a conversation about Politico bringing down the hammer on one of their reporters over him having the temerity to just say look I’m going to play devil’s advocate here,” Burbank says.

“I don’t know that he would have gotten the same treatment if he’d said ‘let me play devil’s advocate and say what I think the president is hoping to do with Obamacare.'”

It’s not the first time Catanase has expressed a controversial position and engaged in a Twitter war of words.

Dave Ross argues there’s a difference between Catanese’s reporting and his personal Tweets, which are obviously his opinion.

“He was talking ideas. They may be stupid ideas but he’s talking ideas and he’s creating controversy, which is what I thought media outlets wanted your tweets to do.”

But Burbank argues Catanase got caught in Politico’s double standard because his opinion was so unfavorable in light of the controversy surrounding Akin’s comments about “legitimate rape.”

What do you think? Should Catanase still be allowed to report on the Akin situation?