UPDATE 11.19.15: Labott apologized Thursday evening for editorializing her reaction to Congress’ vote on Syrian refugees.
Everyone, It was wrong of me to editorialize. My tweet was inappropriate and disrespectful. I sincerely apologize.
— Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) November 20, 2015
–
CNN has suspended global affairs correspondent Elise Labott after she broke from straight news reporting Thursday afternoon to engage in commentary.
The Republican-controlled House voted 289-137 Thursday afternoon to pass a bill that would block refugees from Syria and Iraq from resettling in the United States without first passing a series of strict background checks. The bill had near-unanimous support from Republican lawmakers, and 47 Democrats also voted for it.
Clearly upset by how the vote played out in Congress, Labott tweeted, “House passes bill that could limit Syrian refugees. Statue of Liberty bows head in anguish.”
House passes bill that could limit Syrian refugees. Statue of Liberty bows head in anguish @CNNPolitics https://t.co/5RvZwVftgD
— Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) November 19, 2015
Labotts’ choice to engage in commentary was soon questioned by the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple, who asked her on social media whether her tweet comported “with CNN editorial guidelines.”
Wemple addressed her remarks later in a longer article on the Post’s website.
“She’s CNN’s global affairs correspondent and not a commentator, meaning that she’s bound to comply with the CNN neutrality principle/sham,” he wrote.
“Evenhandedness, mind you, isn’t just a matter of journalistic principle for CNN. It’s a business imperative. Competitors Fox News and MSNBC are ‘two partisan networks, that are looking out for their viewers,” CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker has said. That split, he has argued, makes CNN ever more “essential” to viewers,” he added.
Update: A CNN source confirms that she has been suspended for two weeks.
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) November 20, 2015
Later Thursday evening, a CNN source confirmed in a statement to TheBlaze that it had suspended the global affairs correspondent for a total of two weeks.
The move by Congress to enact stricter guidelines regarding asylum seekers comes almost one week after Islamic State-affiliated terrorists attacked Paris, killing 129 and injuring hundreds more.
More than half of America’s governors have also announced this week that they would try to slow the flow of Syrians refugees into their states, and said they have grave concerns about whether the Islamic State may be hiding among them.
