ABC and CBS Skip Label of Jon Corzine as Democrat
As the three broadcast network evening newscasts on Thursday reported former New Jersey Democratic Senator Jon Corzine's testimony before Congress on the billion dollars in investor money that went missing from the financial firm he once headed, only the NBC Nightly News took the time to label him as a Democrat.
After anchor Brian Williams set up the report, correspondent Kelly O'Donnell included Corzine's party affiliation as she began her report:
A fallen Wall Street CEO, personally rich and politically well-connected. New Jersey's former Democratic Governor and U.S. Senator Jon Corzine under oath.
On the CBS Evening News, as he mentioned the hearing while introducing a report on farmers who were hurt by Corzine's company, anchor Scott Pelley failed to identify Corzine's party:
Former New Jersey Senator Jon Corzine returned to the Capitol today, though not voluntarily. He was subpoenaed to testify about the collapse of the Wall Street firm he ran, MF Global. Corzine was asked about the $1.2 billion in customer money that is still missing.
And, as ABC's World News devoted an entire report to the former Democratic Senator's testimony, neither substitute anchor David Muir nor correspondent Linsey Davis mentioned party affiliation.
Below are transcripts of relevant portions of ABC's World News, the CBS Evening News, and the NBC Nightly News, from Thursday, December 8:
# From the December 8 World News on ABC:
DAVID MUIR: In the meantime, now to a former political heavyweight under fire, Jon Corzine, once a U.S. Senator and governor of New Jersey forced to explain himself to small everyday investors today. He was testifying on Capitol Hill, saying he has no idea where their billion dollars in investment money went. Here's ABC's Linsey Davis.
LINSEY DAVIS: He did not plead the fifth, but former Senator Jon Corzine could not answer the big question behind today's hearing: Where are those missing millions? ... The money is an estimated $1.2 billion invested by clients in the Wall Street brokerage firm Corzine headed for nearly two years, called MF Global.
...
DAVIS: Corzine hasn't spoken publicly until today, but the former governor, Senator, and CEO will face more tough questions.
# From the December 8 CBS Evening News:
SCOTT PELLEY: Former New Jersey Senator Jon Corzine returned to the Capitol today, though not voluntarily. He was subpoenaed to testify about the collapse of the Wall Street firm he ran, MF Global. Corzine was asked about the $1.2 billion in customer money that is still missing.
# From the December 8 NBC Nightly News:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: On Capitol Hill today, a reversal of fortune for a man who was once a governor, a U.S. Senator, and, until recently, the CEO of a company that collapsed in a stunning bankruptcy. Today, Jon Corzine was the star witness brought by subpoena to testify before Congress on the collapse of MF Global and the missing billion dollars in client money. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports on today's hearing.
KELLY O'DONNELL: A fallen Wall Street CEO, personally rich and politically well-connected. New Jersey's former Democratic Governor and U.S. Senator Jon Corzine under oath.
- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center
