Media News

Friday, 2/3/2012

Journalists Reluctant Stars in 2012 Ads

Tom Brokaw may not have appreciated his starring role in the most widely broadcast attack ad in Florida last weekend, but he was far from alone. Everyone from Diane Sawyer to Wolf Blitzer to Ed Schultz to Rush Limbaugh has appeared in this season’s crop of negative advertisements, often to the great dismay of their employers. “We always find it objectionable for a campaign to use any of our anchors in their ads,” CNN spokeswoman Edie Emery said in response to Blitzer’s cameo in a Ron Paul ad attacking Newt Gingrich as a “serial hypocrite.” But the reasons that journalists and news organizations give for their objections can vary pretty widely, from fears of reputational damage, to charges of breaching copyright law, to annoyance at being quoted out of context.

Friday, 1/27/2012

Comcast, NBC Move Broadcast Museum Closer to Opening

Chicago’s nearly completed Museum of Broadcast Communications took another big step forward Thursday with the announcement of a $2.7 million grant from Comcast Corp., NBC News and NBC 5 Chicago. A jubilant Bruce DuMont, founder, president and CEO of the museum, called it the biggest infusion of support since Governor Pat Quinn fulfilled the state’s long-delayed capital development grant of $6 million in 2010. “We are grateful to have Comcast, NBC News, and NBC 5 Chicago — institutions that have contributed so much to the history of television — show so much support for our new facility,” DuMont said in a statement. “We are excited to open our doors and share the experience with visitors.”