On Media Blog Archives Select Date… December, 2015 November, 2015 October, 2015 September, 2015 August, 2015 July, 2015 June, 2015 May, 2015 April, 2015 March, 2015 February, 2015 January, 2015

Jeff Zucker praises Corey Lewandowski, slams Vice and BuzzFeed

Corey Lewandowski is a great CNN contributor, and Vice and BuzzFeed are not legitimate news organizations, CNN President Jeff Zucker says in Variety's latest cover story.

Zucker hired the former Donald Trump campaign manager just a week after he was fired, adding him to CNN's stable of paid commentators who support the Republican presidential nominee.

“The reason we hired Corey is that now that we are in the general election, I think it’s really important to have voices on CNN who are supportive of the Republican nominee,” Zucker said in the interview. “It’s hard to find a lot of those. Our competitors tried to hire him too.”

“I actually think he’s done a really nice job,” Zucker continued. “He’s come under a much greater spotlight because of who he is, and the relationship he’s had with the media. As a result, people are going to be more critical.”

The hire was criticized because Lewandowski was still being paid a severance from Trump and had signed a nondisclosure agreement with the campaign. And, because Lewandowski's conduct with reporters is infamous. In March, Lewandowski forcefully grabbed the arm of reporter Michelle Fields as she tried to ask Trump a question (a Florida prosecutor declined to pursue a case of battery). Lewandowski pushed a CNN embed out of Trump's way after another rally. And female reporters have told POLITICO that Lewandowski has made sexually suggestive and, at times, vulgar comments to ― and about ― female journalists who have covered Trump’s presidential bid.

Zucker had harsh words for some of his competitors in the digital space.

“I don’t think Vice and BuzzFeed are legitimate news organizations,” he said. What would he call them? “They are ... native advertising shops. We crush both of them. They are not even in our same class.”

Zucker also made a dig at Fox News, though he didn't name the rival network. Though he declined to comment on the ousting of former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes other than to say "It’s certainly not something we expected to happen,” Zucker used the network's former motto while explaining his goal to make conservative viewers feel more comfortable watching CNN by bringing a diversity of voices on-air.

“I think our air, as opposed to others', is truly fair and balanced,” Zucker said.

Read the full Variety piece here.

UPDATE 2:25p.m.:

BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith responds to Zucker's critique:

"The most important test of any news organization this year is its coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign. I'm happy to put our tough, fair coverage up against CNN's decision to turn its platform over to Jeff's friend Donald Trump," Smith said in an email.

Vice declined to comment.

