Dispensation for Newtie
by digby
CNN is evidently so enamored of their new Crossfire host that they’ve changed the rules to accommodate him:
Yesterday we reported that Crossfire host Newt Gingrich may have broken ethical rules for conflicts of interest set forth by CNN’s EVP of standards and practices Rick Davis.
Today, those rules appear to have changed. In a statement to Media Matters, Davis clarifies the network’s new ethics policy for disclosing potential conflicts of interest:
We are clarifying the policy and making it clear Newt Gingrich is not in violation. The policy: If a Crossfire co-host has made a financial contribution to a politician who appears on the program or is the focus of the program, disclosure is not required during the show since the co-host’s political support is obvious by his or her point of view expressed on the program.”
This statement is quite the departure from an earlier interview Davis held with Media Matters ahead of Crossfire’s launch earlier this month.
“If Newt is helping fund a candidate and that candidate’s on the show, or being discussed on the show, of course he’ll disclose that,” Davis said at the time. “Disclosure is important when it’s relevant.”
But then, you wouldn’t want to lose an expert on government shutdowns at a time like this would you?
