Rita Braver‘s recent CBS Sunday Morning interview of Lynne Cheney, a subject of discussion for a few days now , is the focus of a New York Times article by Jacques Steinberg today. At issue: was there a conflict of interest for Braver, who disclosed on-air that her husband Bob Barnett, handled a new book deal for Mrs. Cheney.
The topic is addressed on various blogs, including CBS’ own Public Eye. Some postings have accused Braver of a ‘softball’ interview, which Braver says is not true: “We tend not to be confrontational (on Sunday Morning).”
“Rita (was) the best person to do this interview,” says CBS News standards exec Linda Mason.
The Poynter Institute’s Kelly McBride disagrees, telling Steinberg that Braver’s disclosure only “works when you have no other alternative as a newsroom. The obvious alternative would be to have somebody else do the interview.”