Media Matters commends CNBC over Kudlow announcement

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

CONTACT
Erikka Knuti (202) 756-4135
eknuti@mediamatters.org

Jessica Levin (202) 772-8162
jlevin@mediamatters.org

Media Matters commends CNBC over Kudlow announcement

Washington, DC - Media Matters for America commends CNBC following the announcement by host Larry Kudlow that he has decided not to run for Senate. Media Matters noted in a March 20 letter to CNBC President Mark Hoffman that as long as Mr. Kudlow's candidacy remained an open question, his credibility as a journalist was compromised.

The letter stated, in part:

He is either a journalist or a candidate; he cannot be both. ... As a private citizen, Kudlow has a right to explore a run for public office, but using his platform as a CNBC host to further his political ambitions jeopardizes the integrity of your network.

Media Matters president Eric Burns said: "CNBC needed to resolve this issue to preserve the journalistic integrity of the network. Last night, they did just that. It was good for the network and good for its viewers that the air was cleared."

For video of Kudlow's announcement, please visit:
http://mediamatters.org/countyfair/200903240034

For full text of the letter, please visit:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200903200026

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Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Media Matters for America is the first organization to systematically monitor the media for conservative misinformation every day, in real time. For more information, visit www.mediamatters.org