Sometimes, when I get bored with midgets and amputees, I click onto the Daily Web page and look back at some of the first articles I ever wrote.

I can’t help but laugh as I think back to how clueless I was reporting on barn dances and ceramic art for the Arts and Entertainment section.

Even when it came to music journalism, I had a lot to learn.

I remember one phone interview when I asked folk legend Arlo Guthrie if his new record was his first.

Had I done some research, I probably would have discovered that Guthrie played at the original Woodstock, thus making it highly unlikely that he would release his debut in 1995.

Despite my lack of basic reporting skills, there was one ideal I had back then that I may never have again — complete objectivity.

I am a firm believer that Arts & Entertainment reporters struggle with conflict of interest more than any other type of journalists. I even have a desk full of CDs, stickers, “Flubber” mouse pads, “Flubber” pens and dancing “Flubbers” to prove it.

Dealing with the freebies has been the easy part. It was when I became more involved in the Ames music scene that objective reporting became a challenge.

However, never have I been faced with as many conflicts of interest as I was last week.

Over the weekend, one of the biggest shows in Ames featured two bands with which I have personal connections, one has named me its publicist, the other is my little brother’s band.

It was a difficult situation because if I didn’t cover the show just because I had a conflict of interest with the bands, it would not have been fair to them.

On the other hand, giving this show better coverage than we normally would give it, would have been unfair to other local bands.

I solved the problem with the help of two other music reporters, whose goal was to cover the event well, but not too well.

Another problem arose when I was editing one of the stories and ran across a rather negative quote about Veishea, another activity in which I am involved.

Without thinking twice, I cut the quote, not realizing my rather un-objective reason for doing so until another editor pointed it out.

Although the problem solved itself — the person who made the statement called us to have it stricken from the record — the situation forced me to think about my conflicts of interest.

People often ask me why the Daily doesn’t review local bands’ CDs or live shows.

I answer by offering a challenge to them to write something completely honest and objective about someone you know you will encounter again and with whom you’ll probably need to develop a working relationship.

It is a lot harder than you think.

As proof, pick up any newspaper and try to find a local review that says anything more loathsome than “the group needs more variety” or “the singer needs a new haircut.”

Although the Daily does not review local music, we make a strong effort to support the scene by writing feature stories on the bands.

The keywords here are “on the bands.”

It is a common misconception that we pay close attention to where the bands are playing to ensure each venue gets equal coverage.

In fact, to make sure the emphasis of an article is on the band, we rarely mention the venue until the last paragraph.

After thinking a lot about why the Arts & Entertainment staff writes what we do, I have developed a bit of a mission statement.

Our goal is to provide Iowa State students with an inside look into the variety of entertainment available to them on campus and in Ames.

And if that means having Arlo Guthrie laugh at you when you ask an extremely dumb question, then so be it.

Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow.

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Corey Moss is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.