LARRY KING - L.A. MAYOR DATES TV REPORTER -- ANOTHER CONFLICT?

L.A. MAYOR DATES TV REPORTER -- ANOTHER CONFLICT?

Raising new questions about ethical standards among celebrity journalists, it was reported Tuesday that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been dating Lu Parker, a reporter and sometime anchor for KTLA, the Tribune-owned TV station in the city -- as well as a former Miss USA. The mayor declined to reply to questions concerning the alleged liaison, telling reporters that it was a private matter and that he doubted anyone would be interested in his private life. In the Los Angeles Times , media columnist James Rainey said that unlike Mirthala Salinas, who was a reporter for Spanish language Telemundo when Mayor Villaraigosa dated her, Parker "is not a political reporter. She doesn't cover politics generally." But Rainey pointed out that even so, "she could still encounter any number of stories -- school reform, the performance of the police department, expansion of the airport -- in which Villaraigosa has a stake." A KTLA insider told Rainey that Parker usually relies on scripts written by others. Rainey noted that KTLA made no mention of the matter on its newscast. Meanwhile, Larry King remarked during his CNN interview program Tuesday "This may shock you. I am going to be appearing in Las Vegas at Steve Wynn's Encore Hotel on the night of Friday, June 19th. My wife Shawn will precede me with her songs and delightful patter. And I'm going to do an hour of comedy. Yes, the other side of Larry King."

03/06/2009