Monday, February 29, 2016

TV Pundits Praise Hillary Clinton On Air, Fail to Disclose Financial Ties to Her Campaign

The Intercept ^ | Feb. 25 2016 | Lee Fang 

Tune into television coverage of the presidential campaign and undoubtedly you will hear from various pundits described as "former campaign strategists" and "political contributors" explaining the latest developments of the race. But in many cases, these pundits - though introduced as neutral experts on campaigns or party politics - in fact have financial ties to the candidates they praise on the air.
Several consultants who work at firms retained by Hillary Clinton's campaign and her affiliated Super PACs appear regularly on the major television networks, frequently touting Clinton. ...
"Journalism 101 teaches that reporters and TV news hosts must properly identify their sources and analysts," says Jeff Cohen, an associate professor of journalism at Ithaca College. We reached out to NBC, CBS, CNN, and ABC News, but did not hear back.
Stephanie Cutter, for example, has appeared on multiple networks to discuss Clinton, and is typically introduced as a former campaign official for President Barack Obama. What hasn't been disclosed in any of her appearances reviewed by The Intercept, however, is that the boutique consulting firm she co-founded, Precision Strategies, has been retained by the Clinton campaign for "digital consulting," according to Federal Election Commission records. Precision Strategies has been paid at least $120,049 from the Clinton campaign since June of last year.
"I think that Hillary Clinton has done everything right. She has run a good campaign. She has outperformed in debates. She's raised money. She's got a great ground game," said Cutter, speaking about the upcoming New Hampshire and Iowa primaries on NBC's Meet the Press on January 17. She was introduced as "President Obama's 2012 deputy campaign manager." Her company's affiliation with the Clinton campaign was not disclosed.
(Excerpt) Read more at theintercept.com ...

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