What a scoop NBC Today Show snoop Ronan Farrow had today.
He breathlessly reported on the corporate sponsored parties being held during the Democratic National Convention here, the ones where top lawmakers like Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and aides to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid are wined and dined by lobbyists, and reporters are locked out.
Promoting his scoop on Twitter and Facebook, he wrote, “What happens after the speeches? I infiltrate the DNC’s lavish special interest parties. Who’s getting wined and dined? 830am NBC @todayshow.” And this: “Wake up right: to prominent politicians downing hundreds of $ of booze and food paid for by big businesses. See you at 830am NBC @TODAYshow.”
He featured a stop at a party for guitarist Joe Walsh’s “One Hell of a Night” tour, sponsored by the Washington-based Distilled Spirits Council. With a small camera, he took pictures of law-makers and aides, and used graphics to put them in targets while claiming liquor lobbyists were pushing officials guests to cut taxes.
Hanging out or dodging ethics rules? What your reps do at the DNC’s big business parties. WATCH 830a @TODAYshow NBC. pic.twitter.com/G6GHCvksMq
— Ronan Farrow (@RonanFarrow) July 27, 2016
But infiltrate?
It turns out that DISCUS invited Farrow into their party, making space at the last minute at the request of a member company that Farrow has given paid speeches to, something he didn’t mention on Today.
Neither did he mention that the party, co-sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and dozens of other firms, invited 50 other reporters to the event including NBC’s political honcho Chuck Todd.
Infiltrate? What a fraud! We invited you in along w @chucktodd and dozens of other media @NBCNews what a deception! https://t.co/XOladUdnSk
— Frank Coleman (@frankcoleman) July 27, 2016
In fact, DISCUS has held parties at conventions for years and always invites reporters. In Philadelphia there were about 500 guests and reporters and in Cleveland at the Republican National Convention about 700 including journalists.
In portraying the party as a sinister lawmaker-lobbyist meet and greet in the story, and tweeting that he had to infiltrate it rather than fess up that he was invited, he angered DISCUS Senior Vice President Frank Coleman.
“You are a sanctimonious fraud,” he emailed Farrow. He added to Secrets that Farrow is “a hypocrite and perpetrated a fraud on Today Show viewers.” DISCUS even promoted the party on its website.
.@RonanFarrow @TODAYshow forgot to mention paid speeches you gave to giant liquor company? Within @NBCNews rules? https://t.co/XOladUdnSk
— Frank Coleman (@frankcoleman) July 27, 2016
On social media, Farrow pushed his case of payola. On Facebook he wrote that lawmakers were “being bought.”
And Coleman responded on Facebook and twitter, complaining about the story.
“Infiltrate? What a fraud! We invited you in along w @chucktodd and dozens of other media @NBCNews what a deception!” said one tweet.
“@RonanFarrow @TODAYshow forgot to mention paid speeches you gave to giant liquor company? Within @NBCNews rules?” said another.
.@TODAYshow deceiving viewers since @RonanFarrow was invited by 1 of biggest liquor cos in world. @chucktodd & 50 major media also invited.
— Frank Coleman (@frankcoleman) July 27, 2016
And this from Coleman: “@TODAYshow deceiving viewers since @RonanFarrow was invited by 1 of biggest liquor cos in world. @chucktodd & 50 major media also invited.”
Farrow didn’t immediately return an email request for comment.
“This is the kind of thing you would expect from a college journalism student, not someone who shares a seat next to Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie,” said Coleman.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
