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.
