On NBC, Boy Scout Scandal Merits Story, But Club's 100th Anniversary Didn't
When it comes to socially-conservative groups media outlets like to cover the scandals instead of the celebrations.
That's exactly what NBC did to the Boy Scouts of America which had its 100th anniversary Jan. 25. NBC “Nightly News” completely ignored the anniversary, but did remember to cover Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day during that broadcast.
But NBC will find time for scandal. On April 1, NBC's “Today” reported that the Boy Scouts are at the center of a $25 million lawsuit tied to an alleged cover-up of thousands of sexual abuse cases.
The same network that found the group so unimportant it couldn't even muster one word about their one-hundred year anniversary, found two minutes and twenty-seven seconds to spend on the abuse scandal.
The lawsuit is based on so-called “perversion files,” or thousands of secret files the Boy Scouts kept about “thousands of alleged molesters.”
“As NBC's Lee Cowan explains on former Scout said 'They are proof that the organization could and should have done more to protect boys all across the country.'” Matt Lauer said.
Cowan did say that the purpose of those memos had been to prevent abuse: “Over the years confidential memos the Boy Scouts of America dubbed the 'Perversion Files' began piling up. Thousands of pages documenting thousands of alleged molesters the organization had hoped to track, to keep out of scouting.”
Although the Boy Scouts couldn't comment specifically on the matter because of the lawsuit, Cowan did include a videotaped statement reassuring parents that safety of members is the “highest priority” of the organization.
To his credit Cowan also mentioned that the group turned 100 this year, something NBC had ignored on the actual anniversary.
Like this article? Sign up for "Culture Links," CMI's weekly e-mail newsletter, by clicking here.
