CNN financial correspondent Alison Kosik described the “purpose” of Occupy Wall Street protestors “in 140 or less” as “bang on the bongos, smoke weed!” in Twitter comments captured by NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen:

Kosik deleted that comment from her Twitter feed. She later responded to a question about the list of demands from protesters by noting “the list of whines is too long already.”

When Kosik reported on the protests on-air, she wasn't nearly as dismissive of concerns from Wall Street traders, explaining that “the traders that I talked to, they want protesters to understand they're getting hit hard in this economy as well.” From the October 5 edition of CNN Newsroom (via Nexis):

WHITFIELD: All right, Susan Candiotti, at base camp there at lower Manhattan. Thanks so much. Let's check in now with Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. So, Alison, what's the mood there about this “Occupy Wall Street Movement.”

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what, Fredricka, since this movement started a few weeks ago, I have been talking with traders and you know what? They truly emphathize and understand the frustrations, you know, they're equally frustrated as the folks out there on the park right now.

You know, they have also had it the gridlock that's in Washington. They've had it with the state of economy as well. But the traders that I talked to, they want protesters to understand they're getting hit hard in this economy as well.

You know, they're facing layoffs in the tens of thousands in the financial industry. If you look at the trading floor here, it has fewer people than ever before, because it's more electronic, but once again, they understand that the New York Stock Exchange is the symbol of American capitalism.

And that's why they say “Occupy Wall Street” is really targeting Wall Street. You know, traders are really the face of Wall Street, of the financial system. The traders that I've talked to say that they understand the protesters need a place to go to air their grievances. Fredricka --

WHITFIELD: All right, Alison Kosik, thanks so much, at the New York Stock Exchange.

Kosik can be seen in this video joking around with traders as part of a video package welcoming Erin Burnett to CNN.