Imagine that you are a journalist who is doing in$-$depth coverage on local elections. You are swiping through profiles on a dating app and begin chatting with a very nice person in your area, who seems familiar to you for some reason. You agree to meet up for coffee the next day. When you meet this person, you discover that they are a campaign manager for one of the candidates running for office. You really like this person and even go on two more dates, but you are worried that continuing a relationship with them may compromise your reporting. What is the best course of action?

Continue the relationship in private and make sure not to be seen in public together to avoid any perception of impropriety.

Continue the relationship as it is because independent journalists do not have to disclose conflicts of interest.

Put the relationship on hold until after the election in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

Use the relationship to get inside information about the candidate because this person is likely a reliable source.