On the latest episode of his weekly news and commentary podcast, comic and pundit Jon Stewart says that major news organizations including NBC News and CNN are denying their reporters the chance to appear on his show, claiming they are then then stonewalling producers seeking an explanation for the decision.
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At the top of the July 25 episode of his The Weekly Show podcast, Stewart introduces show producers, Brittany Medevac and Lauren Walker, as he explains how it has been difficult for the podcast to book pundits or journalists who work for these organizations. Frequently, reporters receive requests from other media brands to appear on television, radio and podcasts to guest on the shows and provide context, news analysis or commentary.
“Their organizations will not let them come on our podcast. Let that sink in for just a moment. Organizations that rely on access and transparency refuse to allow their reporters to come on podcasts to talk about the issues of today,” Stewart says before asking his producers to elaborate. “Why?”
Mehmedovic explains that the refusals she’s heard, which are then followed by radio silence from the networks’ media relations representatives, are “unlike anything [she’s] really ever seen in the decade” that she’s been working in media. Phone calls and follow-ups go unanswered, Medevac tells Stewart, or she is told by the representatives that they will “politely decline” the interview requests.
“I just want people at home to let that sink in for a second,” Stewart says. ”News organizations stonewall inquiries as to why their reporters are not allowed or are being restricted from just being able to come on a stupid fucking podcast and give their opinion, even as just a promotional tool for either the reporter or for the organizations that they work for.”
Stewart suggests that these news organizations should feel “shame and bewilderment” for using the “techniques of obfuscation” with these refusals. Reporters, Mehmedovic says, are typically enthusiastic about appearing on Stewart’s podcast, but then the booking is stalled when they seek network approval.
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Whether the reason behind the refusal is rivalry among competitors or Stewart being seen as too partisan is floated as the three discuss the issue, but he shoots down the latter, pointing out that NBC owns left-leading cable news brand MSNBC.
“It shows the fundamental disconnect between the people who are running these organizations and what those organizations are supposedly there for — which is informing the public on the issues of the day, whether they’re informing it on somebody’s podcast or something else,” Stewart says, “Just absolute nonsense.”
At a point in the conversation, Stewart says, “We had the same problem with CNN. They gave us a bunch of shit for trying to bring somebody on,” but does not elaborate on who that guest was. Notably, however, The Weekly Show did have CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers as a guest on its July 11 episode.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to a rep for NBC News for comment.
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