All eyes on Newtown
As the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting approaches, Brian Stelter talks with journalist and Newtown resident Brian Koonz about how the media should mark the occasion.
Here are a few examples of people weighing in on the upcoming anniversary and how it should be handled:
Statement by Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra:
"Our community is choosing to remember and honor those who lost their lives in that awful tragedy in ways that are quiet, personal, and respectful – centered on the themes of kindness, love, and service to others. We are wishing fervently that those many persons who wish us well, and the media, will allow us this time to be alone and quiet with time for personal and communal reflection."
Statements by various media:
"The Newtown Bee is not participating in coverage by outside media of the 12/14 anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings. There is a point - and I think we had already passed it at the six-month mark - where the continued media fascination with Newtown's psychological state becomes an impediment to the healing process for many people. We, here at The Bee, are keenly aware of that local sentiment, and our main mission has always been to respect and serve the interests of our audience, which is the Newtown community."
- Curtiss Clark, Editor, The Newtown Bee; Thursday
"WFSB thanks CNN for the invitation, but we respectfully decline. It is not our intention to garner publicity for ourselves. This was a decision based on what was right and respectful. There was no imminent news reason to be in town that day, just for the sake of live presence. We've chosen to air a memorial piece about each victim for the 26 days leading up to December 14th. We have also extensively covered the newly released preliminary report as necessary and will continue to do so as developments occur."
- Klarn DePalma, VP/General Manager, WFSB; Statement to CNN, Wednesday
Sneak peek at this Sunday's show
By Becky Perlow, CNN
It’s been almost a month since the Newtown shooting massacre not only left a nation shocked, but also encouraged lawmakers, lobbyists and pundits to finally put the gun debate on the political agenda. During the debate, many questioned how long the discussion would last – some said a week, while others suggested only as long as the media reported on the issue. The coverage, however, shows no sign of slowing down. Vice President Biden met this week with various groups to discuss current gun policy and CNN’s Piers Morgan made headlines when he interviewed talk show host Alex Jones. Jones gained attention for creating a White House petition to deport the CNN anchor after Morgan shared his views on gun control. Joining us this week to discuss are Paul Farhi, a media reporter for The Washington Post, Robert Costa, the Washington editor for the National Review and Keli Goff, political correspondent for TheRoot.com.
After several media organizations reported that Lance Armstrong was considering coming clean about his alleged doping, it was quickly announced that the crème de la crème of interviewers, Oprah Winfrey, scored the first sit down with the cyclist. USA Today’s sports columnist Christine Brennan swings by the studio to share her thoughts on what the interview will mean for the legendary Tour de France competitor.
From Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, to David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, the late night talk show hosts have battled for decades. This past week, one more comic was added to the line-up: Jimmy Kimmel moved to 11:35pm, directly threatening Leno and Letterman’s ratings. TV Newser columnist Gail Shister and Xfinity TV columnist Adam Buckman will join Howie to discuss what the change means for nighttime laughs and Nightline, the show that got bumped when Kimmel switched to the earlier time slot. They’ll also weigh in on the ‘Morning Joe’ squabble, where a discussion on President Obama’s cabinet appointments quickly turned the morning show into a showdown.
And in a country well known for its restricted press and significant censorship, China made news this week when journalists at a Chinese newspaper decided to go on strike after an editorial calling for greater constitutional freedoms was censored by the government. CNN’s former Beijing bureau chief Rebecca MacKinnon will give her insights into the protest.
Tune in this Sunday at 11am.
The challenge of reporting on tragedy
Fred Francis, Lauren Ashburn, Steve Roberts and Howard Kurtz discuss the challenge for journalists of covering the traumatic events in Newtown, Conn.
NRA fires back
Terence Smith, Tom Foreman and Howard Kurtz discuss the National Rifle Association’s response to the Newtown tragedy
Sneak peek at this Sunday's show
By Becky Perlow, CNN
It's hard to believe it's only been a week since a 20-year-old gunman broke into a Newtown, Conn. school and murdered 20 children. Following a press conference on Wednesday where President Obama promised to look more closely at the country's current gun laws, the National Rifle Association announced Friday morning that the only way to protect children in schools is to have guns in schools. CNN's Tom Foreman, one of the reporters who attended the NRA's announcement, joins PBS NewsHour's former media correspondent Terence Smith in our studio to discuss the ramifications of such an announcement.
The non-stop news flooding out of Newtown has also raised questions about journalistic ethics for many reporters covering the massacre. Joe Scarborough, both a father and a strong advocate for the 2nd amendment, announced on Monday that he's rethinking his view on gun control... but should he have included his personal views in the discussion? Former correspondent for NBC News Fred Francis, Editor-in-chief of Daily-Download.com Lauren Ashburn and George Washington University's Professor of Media and Public Affairs Steve Roberts join us to discuss our responsibility as journalists: Is it to push the gun control issue? Or is it our job to cover the controversial topic objectively, like we are trained and expected to do? They'll also weigh in on the public relation nightmares of the year, from etch-a-sketch shake-ups to private sectors that were apparently not doing so fine.
Everyone loves a good action flick, but one in particular hits close to home for many Americans this holiday season. Zero Dark Thirty, from director Kathryn Bigelow who gave us The Hurt Locker, has already garnered mass media attention for its portrayal of the hunt for the most wanted man in the world, Osama bin Laden. CNN's National Security analyst and author of Manhunt: The Ten Year Searcg for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad Peter Bergen and New York magazine's film critic David Edelstein trade talking points about whether art imitates life.
This Sunday, 11am EST.
What we're reading this week...
By Becky Perlow, CNN
Reliable Sources digs into media coverage this week – but here’s a look at some of the other stories that got our attention:
Look for the helpers: It's been almost a decade since Mr. Rogers left the neighborhood behind, but his words ring truer than ever. Following the Newtown, Conn. shooting last week, parents were unsure of how to approach their children and make them understand who to trust... and who they shouldn't. Cue Mr. Rogers and his words of wisdom.
Down the rabbit mole: Instead of fading quietly into the background after we interviewed him earlier this year, the Fox Mole has popped his head out again - this time in an interview with media critic Jim Romenesko about his new book due out next year, An Atheist in the FOXhole: A Liberal's Eight-Year Odyssey Inside the Heart of the Right-Wing Media. Let's just hope he doesn't lose his head like he lost his job.
Fox lands a whale: With Christmas right around the corner, Fox News scored a major interview Thursday morning with the man in the red jumpsuit himself. Oh no, wait, it was just the guy who plays Santa Claus 365 days a year. Well... there goes our entire childhood.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Only, it's not. Stop running to the supermarket to stock up on string beans and forget about battening down the hatches because according to Salon.com (and this thing called "common sense"), the world is not going to end tonight. If it does, though, it's a shame because we have a great show planned for you this Sunday. Tune in at 11am EST.
What are you talking about?
About "Reliable Sources"
Now more than ever, the press is a part of every story it covers. And CNN's "Reliable Sources" is one of television's only regular programs to examine how journalists do their jobs and how the media affect the stories they cover.
Subscribe on iTunes | Instagram
Tune in every Sunday at 11am Eastern time!
About the host
Brian Stelter is the host of "Reliable Sources" and the senior media correspondent for CNN Worldwide. Before he joined CNN in November 2013, Stelter was a media reporter for The New York Times. He is the author of the New York Times best-seller "Top of the Morning."
Here's his biography. You can read his stories on this blog and at CNNMoney.com/Media/.
@cnnreliable on Twitter
