Q: Should KHQ Have Withheld Hospital Sale Info?

Item: Story on hospital sale delayed: KHQ knew about sale weeks before /Jonel Aleccia, Spokesman-Review

More Info: Empire Health Services officials cooperated with a Spokane TV station on stories about the proposed sale of two hospitals and other holdings weeks before the information was released to employees, doctors and the public. An Empire Health spokeswoman acknowledged this week that crews from KHQ-TV agreed to delay reporting about the potential sale to Community Health Systems Inc. of Tennessee in exchange for access to proprietary information and corporate officials before the June 14 public announcement that Empire had signed an intent-to-sell agreement with CHS.

SR Rule of Thumb: We present the news when we know it.

Question: Did KHQ violate journalistic ethics by withholding news of the hospital sale?