Posted by
Mike Bates on Sunday, April 11, 2010 1:53:21 PM
Last week, CNN's Kyra Phillips wasn't all that GLAAD to hear from
some of her viewers. As NewsBuster Colleen Raezler
reported on Thursday, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) had issued a "Call to Action" on April 7 urging
members to "hold CNN accountable" for an April 6 Newsroom segment
"featuring so-called 'ex-gay' activist Richard Cohen."
GLAAD partisans apparently hopped right on their keyboards. On April
8, Phillips
expressed her wish "that those of you who sent me vicious e-mails
watched my newscast more often:"
PHILLIPS: And before we go to break, I would like to take
a moment to address many of you who e-mailed me about our Tuesday
segment on this topic. Personally, I thought the absurd nature of the
California law we discussed would speak for itself, but unfortunately,
not everyone saw it that way. Richard Cohen was not the most appropriate
guest to have on, but it is a decision that we made and the result of
that is our continued discussion today.
That is what journalism is all about, and we will continue to do our
best to discuss gay and lesbian issues in a fair way on this program. I
wish that all of you knew my heart, and as a journalist with a long
track record of covering gay and lesbian issues, I wish that those of
you who sent me vicious e-mails watched my newscast more often, because
if they did, my guess is, they would not have been so quick to send such
hateful messages. They don't know my record and my unswerving support
for all communities in the battle for human rights, including gays,
lesbians, and transgendered individuals.
Kyra's "unswerving support" did not go unrecognized. GLAAD responded on its Web
site the same day, thanking "Kyra Phillips and CNN for listening to
community concerns." Moreover:
We also want to acknowledge Phillips’ past reporting on
LGBT issues. Her coverage of Lt. Col Victor Fehrenbach , who was
dismissed from military service under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” was
nominated for a 2010 GLAAD Award for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment.
Our Call to Action regarding Phillips’ coverage of Richard Cohen, and
CNN’s initial missteps in addressing the issue, does not take away from
Phillips’ fair, accurate and inclusive reporting in the past. We
appreciate what she said today during her broadcast and look forward to
working with her as a resource on future segments.
All's well that ends well. But let that be a lesson to Phillips:
Deviate from the prevailing mainstream media orthodoxy - even once -
and you will hear about it. Viciously.