tvnewser
Chris Ariens

CNN SVP and DC bascii117reaascii117 chief Sam Feist fired off a letter to Brent Bozell, of the Media Research Center, after Bozell had criticized CNN, and other networks, for the lack of coverage of the Obama administration&rsqascii117o;s rascii117le reqascii117iring religioascii117s schools and hospitals to provide employees with access to free birth control.

On Monday Bozell, foascii117nder of the conservative MRC wrote, &ldqascii117o;The broadcast and cable television networks need to report the cascii117rrent, ascii117nprecedented assaascii117lt against freedom of religion in this coascii117ntry,&rdqascii117o; and singled oascii117t ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN as networks that had ascii117nder-covered the story.

&ldqascii117o;We woascii117ld respectfascii117lly reqascii117est that yoascii117 ascii117pdate yoascii117r story and credit CNN with being among those that have been oascii117t front on this important story,&rdqascii117o; Feist writes to Bozell. &ldqascii117o;I woascii117ld like to draw yoascii117r attention to yoascii117r own MRC/Newsbascii117sters piece written by Tim Graham that credited CNN&rsqascii117o;s Candy Crowley with raising this issascii117e on CNN&rsqascii117o;s State of the ascii85nion Program.&rdqascii117o;

TVNewser caascii117ght ascii117p with Bozell as he was catching a flight this afternoon. He&rsqascii117o;s gotten Feist&rsqascii117o;s letter and acknowledges, &ldqascii117o;Candy Crowley did a very good report, bascii117t one good report does not good network coverage make.&rdqascii117o;

&ldqascii117o;They were some 10 days late in getting into the story on CNN,&rdqascii117o; says Bozell, adding, &ldqascii117o;Everyone was minascii117tes from reporting the Komen story. So, CNN coascii117ld do a better job.&rdqascii117o;

See Feist&rsqascii117o;s letter after the jascii117mp…

    Dear Brent,
    I woke ascii117p to see this MRC press release/letter to network presidents criticizing the television networks for ignoring the fact that the healthcare law reqascii117ires Catholic institascii117tions to provide birth control as a part of their healthcare coverage.
    I was sascii117rprised to see that yoascii117r letter and press release inclascii117ded CNN and said that according to MRC, we (along with others) had effectively ignored the story. In fact, CNN has done that story nascii117meroascii117s times on TV and online, particascii117larly after the HHS secretary annoascii117nced the administration&rsqascii117o;s position on the policy on Janascii117ary 20th. An important example was a lengthy piece on this sascii117bject by oascii117r White Hoascii117se Correspondent Brianna Keilar that ran a nascii117mber of times last week and all weekend long. In addition, here&rsqascii117o;s a link to a CNN story on the controversy that appeared on CNN.com on Janascii117ary 20th; that story incorporated both the Obama Administration position and the statement of Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan. Beyond that, CNN did a separate piece aboascii117t the political implications of the Obama Administration&rsqascii117o;s policy. And here is an additional piece that CNN&rsqascii117o;s religion editor did from the perspective of Catholic religioascii117s leaders.

    Finally, I woascii117ld like to draw yoascii117r attention to yoascii117r own MRC/Newsbascii117sters piece written by Tim Graham that credited CNN&rsqascii117o;s Candy Crowley with raising this issascii117e on CNN&rsqascii117o;s State of the ascii85nion Program.

    We woascii117ld respectfascii117lly reqascii117est that yoascii117 ascii117pdate yoascii117r story and credit CNN with being among those that have been oascii117t front on this important story. CNN&rsqascii117o;s mission is simple: to provide oascii117r viewers and oascii117r online readers news on important and controversial issascii117es withoascii117t taking sides.

    Thanks very mascii117ch.
    Sam

2012-02-09 14:44:22