Chase to stop using NBC News' Stephanie Ruhle in promos amid conflict of interest concerns

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Chase has stopped using NBC News senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle in promotional content after her involvement raised questions about whether she can fairly cover the financial sector, Fox News has learned. 

Ruhle was interviewed by ESPN's Jay Williams for a "Chase Chat," which was then edited and used to promote the bank and drive interest to the conversation. While Rhule did not specifically endorse Chase or get paid, her participation in the interview was initially used to promote the bank. 

An NBC insider said Chase has since promised to stop using Ruhle in promotional content.  

Chase has stopped using NBC News senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle in promotional content after her involvement raised questions about whether she can fairly cover the financial sector, Fox News has learned. (Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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“I have always been a saver, I’ve always been a planner, I’ve always been a budgeter, because to me, financial security is so unbelievably liberating,” Ruhle said in a video shared on Twitter by the bank’s verified account before the screen cut to blue and a Chase logo appeared.  

The commercial-like video was tweeted and plastered on the bank's official Twitter and Instagram posts featuring Ruhle. Both have since been deleted.

The full video was posted to YouTube back on Sept. 24. 

Ruhle was not paid or compensated in any way, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. NBC journalists are not permitted to accept payment for speaking engagements, but the video being used for promotional purposes piqued the interest of ethics gurus.  

"She was not paid for this financial literacy content. It was our mistake to promote it, and we’re sorry," JP Morgan Chase spokesperson Trish Wexler told Fox News.  

DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall told Fox News the “public should understandably question the fairness and objectivity of any reporter who is advocating on behalf of a commercial interest,” which Ruhle appeared to be doing.  

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“The journalism world is under wide suspicion from the public these days for activism and bias. It is up to the professional journalism industry to fix any real or perceived conflicts of interest," McCall added. 

University of North Carolina professor Lois A. Boynton is a fellow in the University’s Parr Center for Ethics. She feels that participating in advertisements or other promotions creates a conflict of interest for reporters, “particularly those like Stephanie Ruhle” because of her senior business correspondent title -- so it was a good idea for Chase to knock it off. 

“The various journalism association codes are clear about avoiding conflicts of interest – both real and perceived. Although she did not literally endorse Chase in a 'Chase Chat' interview about budgeting, her participation on the Chase site and in Chase’s Twitter feed at minimum creates a perception that she has a relationship with the company,” Boynton told Fox News.  

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“Perception is everything -- it’s an issue all reporters must be mindful of. The goal is to remain independent from potential influences, regardless of whether that influence comes to fruition or not,” Boynton said.  “When she next reports about Chase, there likely will be some individuals who question her credibility since she has appeared in the company’s promotions.”  

Ruhle conducted a glowing interview with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon this past August. Last year, Ruhle also raised eyebrows when the Wall Street Journal reported she had close ties to Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. The NBC News correspondent reportedly accompanied Plank on his private jet while offering “her input on a range of business matters” that irked employees.