Broadcasting & Cable
NBC says it didn’t pay for its interview with David Goldman.
That came in response to a statement from The Society of Professional Journalists taking it to task for what it called crossing the line into checkbook journalism.
In a statement issued Monday, SPJ said its journalistic ethics committee was “appalled” by the news that NBC had provided the plane that flew Goldman and his son back from Brazil after a high-profile custody battle, saying NBC made itself part of the story and called into question its “neutrality, integrity and credibility.”
“NBC News has not and will not pay for an interview,” said NBC of the Christmas Eve invite to the Goldman’s to hitch a ride on the plane on which NBC staffers were returning from covering the story.
“The Goldmans were invited on a jet NBC News chartered to fly home to the U.S. on Thursday, Dec. 24,” the network told B&C in a statement. “NBC News has followed this story since the Goldman’s story first ran on Dateline nearly one year ago — David Goldman since has appeared on Today seventeen times,” suggesting the news network was simply closing the loop on an extensive association with the Goldmans. “NBC News has not and will not pay for an interview.” More…