Licensing Fees In Journalism: Crossing An Ethical Line? Networks Say No

ABC's Chris Cuomo admitted in an interview on CNN that his network paid one of the women in the Anthony Weiner scandal for photos, and he defended the practice of checkbook journalism.

In an interview on Sunday's "Reliable Sources," Cuomo, who is one of the hosts of "20/20," told Howard Kurtz that Megan Broussard, a woman who corresponded with Weiner, was paid $10-15,000 by ABC for photographs she sent to the embattled Congressman.

"Did that bother you?" Kurtz asked.

"No," Cuomo replied. "...The commercial exigencies of the business reaches to every aspect of reporting now."

He said that, as anchor of the show, it had been his decision to open the ABC checkbook.

"I could have said don't do it," he said. "I don't because it is the state of play right now. I wish it were not. I wish money was not in the game, but you know it's going to go somewhere else. You know someone else is going to pay for the same things."

WATCH:

Cuomo's interview came as so-called "licensing fees" that networks pay to people they interview have gained new public scrutiny. While paying for interviews is common in other countries, such as Britain, the practice is generally frowned upon in the U.S. American networks generally forbid directly paying for interviews; instead, they pay for documents, photos or videos. In one recent case, NBC News licensed video footage from a local school district, with the stipulation that the money be used to pay for the education of a girl it was trying to get on the "Today" show.

Of course, many see paying for licensing fees instead of interviews as a difference without a distinction. In interviews with the New York Times, Jim Bell and James Goldston, the executive producers of "Today" and "Good Morning America," respectively, defended the practice, though Bell accused "GMA" of inflating the market by regularly paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.

What do you think? Is paying licensing fees a problem? Tell us in our poll below.

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It crosses an ethical line.

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Comments

[cupcake77]

05:12 PM on 06/19/2011

The whole thing is gross. However the situation is half of the USA is doing exactly what Weiner and his 6 girlfriends are doing. Half of these very people who are condemning him are doing it too. The whole thing makes me want to barf. What has our country come to?

[Maxx Webber]

02:44 AM on 06/16/2011

sometimes a story falls in your lap for free and no one bothers to follow up on the lead.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/06/weiner-mistress-lisa-weiss-tipped-rachel-maddow-scandal-twitter-facebook

[Dunkleberger Karl]

01:11 AM on 06/16/2011

ABC has Become Faux news JR! no longer impartial!

[Dunkleberger Karl]

01:10 AM on 06/16/2011

From the dismissal of the testimony of an eye witness to OJ simpson driving away from the murder scene because she accepted $5000 for an interveiw, to "Hey you got pitures of a democratic congressman we will pay you 15 thousand dollars, you got pics of a naked republcan? we will pay you $500 .Just to burn them!

[Konnie]

10:30 PM on 06/15/2011

then it stops being "the fourth estate" of more nobel times and becomes yellow journalism, and they just sold any credibility they ever had. if everything is for sale, then they can never be trusted again. isn't that what has kept america above the nazi's? we're doomed..............we're now at the mercy of the
internet overlords.........until they start censoring sites.............

[ljmck]

05:02 PM on 06/15/2011

"I wish money was not in the game, but you know it's going to go somewhere else. You know someone else is going to pay for the same things."

Is murdering a free press okay because someone else led the mob?

[arkymorgan]

01:47 PM on 06/15/2011

Prostitution takes many forms.

[mancoff]

11:51 AM on 06/15/2011

The women accept the photos from Weiner readily, respond to them, keep the correspondence going, enjoy the banter, then when Weiner gets crucified, these same women make a nice profit from them. I don't mind that everyone wants Weiner to resign. I personally would rather have a congressmen that sends obscene photos to eager women than a congressman who pushes obscene policies that are detrimental to the country, the elderly and middleclass workers.

Punish Weiner, if you must, but why let the women off the hook and get off easy for accepting the photos but then profit by their actions. I would not be surprised if in the future politicians, famous people, etc get "set up" by women for the sole purpose of telling all and cashing in on the publicity. This could be become a whole new cottage industry.

I guess you could say, if someone is going to run for office or chooses to be in public eye, then they better keep their pants zipped so they don't get in a situation, but we all know that ain't going to happen.

[Sukami]

03:31 PM on 06/15/2011

I completely agree with you, mancoff.

If Americans spent half as much time talking about real issues as they do about other people's sexual escapades we might actually see some positive changes in this country. As long as it doesn't violate the law, I could care less about what my elected representatives are doing sexually. I'm more concerned with who they're selling out to in order to get re-elected.

I wish we were more fair-minded concerning this entire situation.

[Yorksgal]

06:15 PM on 06/15/2011

Isn't it amazing that those who are so right-wing are so interested in anything to do with sex. Whether it be telling women what to do with their bodies, or promoting the latest sex scandal. Something tells me psychotherapists are desperately needed wherever the righties rule.

[Murdale]

10:06 AM on 06/15/2011

I have a big problem with licensing fees for pretty much the same reasons some other posters have. Credible journalists should never lower themselves to the "pay for view/print" smut. Why stoop to the level of the National Inquirer or a Murdoch tabloid?

[hoagie76]

04:06 AM on 06/15/2011

then don't call it journalism, call it tabloidism

[MissRoseNylund]

03:19 AM on 06/15/2011

If you start paying for stories you'll get people making up stories, or exaggerating stories, for money. Tabloids have paid for years, but legit journalists have always rejected that. Sad to see that legit news agencies are lowering themselves to tabloid level. Of course, they have been lowering their standards for a long time. They focus on scandal and sensationalism, rather than actual information on matters that effect the public.

[tattytiara]

02:11 AM on 06/15/2011

The news is a product like any other - derived from natural sources, but processed extensively before being presented to the consumer. Good, bad, or indifferent, it's just important to remain aware of that fact.

[ljmck]

05:08 PM on 06/15/2011

The less processed (editorialized), the better. Avoid Cheez Whiz.

Whole foods keep you healthy; processed food causes early death.

[tattytiara]

05:14 PM on 06/15/2011

Everybody's free to make their personal choices, I advocate only being aware of the choice being made.

[revko]

01:08 AM on 06/15/2011

Headline:

"DOG PAYS MAN TO BITE HIM"

[GloriaY]

10:27 PM on 06/14/2011

Journalists stooping to a new low. So sad. The entire country is deteriorating with all deliberate speed.

[John E Priegnitz]

10:05 PM on 06/14/2011

We're nothing more than a tabloid nation now, :(.

[El Chingaso]

09:46 AM on 06/15/2011

Unfortunately, public education over the last 30 years has greatly assisted with developing "inquiring minds want to know." When critical thinking skills and deep-processing are reduced to simply filling in little ovals on a test sheet...well, little brains are easily swayed by superficiality & inanity vs. substance and edification. (Can't critically analyze the babble and, thus, accept it as fact.) Orwell would have loved such mastery...

[maninal2]

05:15 PM on 06/15/2011

Thank Reagan's mythical A Nation at Risk and George Bush's NCLB for a massive change in education from learning to test taking.