Earlier this week the AP and Reuters announced that they were boycotting last night’s Republican Presidential primary debate because of restrictions placed on media outlets by hosts Fox News and the South Carolina Republican Party. In response, CNN has revealed its list of restrictions for its upcoming primary debate scheduled for June 13.
Spoiler alert: there aren’t any. Update: A spokesperson for MSNBC says they will have similar guidelines, with essentially unlimited use as long as MSNBC is credited.
Once the live debate has concluded, outlets may do with the footage essentially what they wish.
Due to the historical nature of presidential debates and the significance of these forums to the American public, CNN believes strongly that the debates should be accessible to all viewers.
The presidential debates are an integral part of our system of government, in which the American people have the opportunity to make informed choices about who will serve them.
In contrast, FNC had a number of restrictions placed on media coverage, restrictions beyond the still-photo incident that inflamed the AP and Reuters:
There were some reasonable requests, like crediting Fox News or saying the debate aired on Fox, as well as some less reasonable ones, like that no footage may be used after May 12, 2011, and that footage may not be archived. In addition, no more than three minutes of footage from the debate could be used in any one program.