Weighing privacy vs. disclosure in a new era of accountability.

There are a few ways to make the Weekly’s newsroom really buzz. Breaking news is one. Free food does it. So does a big document dump.

That third one is what energized senior staff writer David Schmalz to spend hours reading hundreds of pages of documents as he reported this week’s cover story about alleged sexual harassment in the Monterey Harbormaster’s Office and a failure by City Hall to respond appropriately (see story, p. 18).

Included in the document dump were numerous records provided by the Monterey City Attorney’s Office. Some of those provided context for harbor employee Jeanne Colletto’s complaint; some pertained to the recent departure of the city’s top employee, former city manager Mike McCarthy, who resigned in December after it was revealed that he was having an affair with a city employee. (And, by definition, a subordinate; as city manager, McCarthy was at the top of the food chain.)

One document is quoted at length in this week’s cover story. It’s a comment posted to the city’s website, by the husband of the employee, revealing details about the affair. It prompted city officials to begin investigating – and ultimately led to McCarthy’s resignation.

I spoke to Ed Wasserman, dean of UC Berkeley’s Journalism School and who served as a journalism ethics professor for 10 years, about whether to publish the website comment in whole, in part or not at all.

“What I would be inclined to do is cull through this with some care, and identify the things that have some legitimate public significance,” he says. “The way this came to light [through a web comment] speaks to some deficiencies about the way the city gathers information. The fact that [the affair lasts] a year speaks to inadequacies in the way the city administration is monitoring its own activities.”

Those points fall on one side of the balance of the public good vs. private humiliation. Other details, which are excised, did not.

“It’s possible to distinguish between the stuff that is properly public and that is just going to cause further embarrassment,” Wasserman says.

I checked with Sally Lehrman, director of The Trust Project and journalism program at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. She recommended consulting the bible on this subject, the Code of Ethics published by the Society of Professional Journalists. (We keep these taped up in the newsroom.)

Among SPJ’s guidelines for journalists: “Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity.” “Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.”

There is an entire section devoted to the principle of minimizing harm: “Journalists should balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort.”

It’s on that guidance that we chose to publish a portion of the comment that led to McCarthy – who was the city of Monterey’s top employee – resigning.

“Keeping your eyes on context is a safer, more ethically palatable course,” Wasserman says.

Part of the context is McCarthy’s apologetic tone. “First – and most importantly – I am so incredibly sorry for my actions, which were selfish and hurtful,” he writes by email. “I truly regret what I’ve done and am trying to repair what I can. Although the relationship was consensual, it was clearly inappropriate.”

Part of the context is that, once exposed, McCarthy quickly resigned, minimizing harm to the city. His story is in contrast to Colletto’s, which played out quietly over several years. Hopefully McCarthy’s willingness to take accountability marks a new era, Monterey’s chance at redemption.

In an era when alleged misconduct is coming to light at an unprecedented rate, the balancing act between disclosure and privacy will come up again. It came up last week, when columnist Mary Duan wrote about an investigation into crotch shots sent by a county employee – who we did not name.

I’m writing about these internal behind-the-scenes deliberations because, especially at a time that trust in the media seems to be faltering, transparency into how we operate is essential.

Besides, it’s on SJP’s guidelines: “Explain ethical choices and processes to audiences.”

SARA RUBIN is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@mcweekly.com or follow her on Twitter @sarahayleyrubin