From New York Times, via www.drudgereport.com :
CNBC Disclosure Stirs Ethics Debate in Business Media
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
Maria Bartiromo, the stock-market reporter and anchorwoman for CNBC, opened her hourlong television interview earlier this month with Sanford I. Weill, the chief executive of Citigroup, with an unusual disclosure. She told viewers that she owned 1,000 shares of Citigroup stock, then worth about $45,000.
Neither Ms. Bartiromo nor her supervisors thought her stake in Citigroup should disqualify her from questioning Mr. Weill about the company's future and his decision to step down as chief executive at year-end. Amy Zelvin, a spokeswoman for CNBC, said Ms. Bartiromo had abided by the network's policies, which Ms. Zelvin said were intended to ensure "compliance with the highest ethical standards."
Ms. Bartiromo's revelation highlighted an issue that has divided financial journalism. Many business news organizations â including The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and Forbes â say that they forbid reporters from covering companies in which they have investments.
CNN, one of CNBC's cable-news competitors, says it tries to avoid such conflicts.
Sarah Cohn, a spokeswoman for CNN in New York, read a prepared statement that said: "We take active measures to avoid putting our staff in the position of reporting on companies in which they have a meaningful stake. Therefore, it would be highly unusual for any on-air disclosure to be necessary."
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Talk about much ado about nothing. I have my share of criticisms of CNBC adn Maria, but to try to make a big deal out of this is nonsense, at least to me. She was asking a few questions, not doing an investigative report. It shows how upside down the media is. They get all excited about a nonissue like this, but treat far more serious political bias, such as shown by Tim Russert yesterday, as business as usual.
CNBC Disclosure Stirs Ethics Debate in Business Media
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
Maria Bartiromo, the stock-market reporter and anchorwoman for CNBC, opened her hourlong television interview earlier this month with Sanford I. Weill, the chief executive of Citigroup, with an unusual disclosure. She told viewers that she owned 1,000 shares of Citigroup stock, then worth about $45,000.
Neither Ms. Bartiromo nor her supervisors thought her stake in Citigroup should disqualify her from questioning Mr. Weill about the company's future and his decision to step down as chief executive at year-end. Amy Zelvin, a spokeswoman for CNBC, said Ms. Bartiromo had abided by the network's policies, which Ms. Zelvin said were intended to ensure "compliance with the highest ethical standards."
Ms. Bartiromo's revelation highlighted an issue that has divided financial journalism. Many business news organizations â including The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and Forbes â say that they forbid reporters from covering companies in which they have investments.
CNN, one of CNBC's cable-news competitors, says it tries to avoid such conflicts.
Sarah Cohn, a spokeswoman for CNN in New York, read a prepared statement that said: "We take active measures to avoid putting our staff in the position of reporting on companies in which they have a meaningful stake. Therefore, it would be highly unusual for any on-air disclosure to be necessary."
... .
*****
Talk about much ado about nothing. I have my share of criticisms of CNBC adn Maria, but to try to make a big deal out of this is nonsense, at least to me. She was asking a few questions, not doing an investigative report. It shows how upside down the media is. They get all excited about a nonissue like this, but treat far more serious political bias, such as shown by Tim Russert yesterday, as business as usual.