CNN reporter Susan Roesgen will leave the network, a
media-industry Web site reported
Thursday, three months after Ms. Roesgen's coverage
of an April protest in Chicago drew widespread
criticism.
Ms. Roesgen's "contract will not be renewed and she will be
leaving the network," Chris Ariens, managing editor of TV Newser,
wrote in an exclusive report. According to Ariens, a CNN
spokesperson was not authorized "to comment on personnel matters"
regarding Ms. Roesgen, who joined the cable-news channel in 2005.
While covering an April 15 "Tea Party" protest in Chicago, Ms.
Roesgen got into an on-camera argument with one protester
who criticized the Obama administration's economic policy.
According to a
transcript of the live broadcast, Ms. Roesgen told the
protester, "Sir, what does this have to do with taxes?… Did
you know that [Illinois] gets $50 billion out of the stimulus?
That's $50 billion for this state, sir." Ms. Roesgen then told
CNN anchor Kyra Phillips, "Uh, it's anti-government, anti-CNN,
since this is highly promoted by the right-wing conservative
network, Fox."
Subsequently
interviewed on a radio program, the protester said Ms.
Roesgen's comments "confirmed something that I knew all
along" about "liberal bias that's been going on in the media."
Ms. Roesgen's coverage was criticized by many conservative
commentators, including
RedState.com blogger Jeff Emanuel, who said the reporter
showed "pathetic ignorance," and syndicated columnist
Michelle Malkin, whose blog
post about Ms. Roesgen's coverage was titled, "CNN beclowns
itself." An Internet video of the
incident,
posted at Ms. Malkin's HotAir.com Web site April 15,
has since registered more than 550,000 viewings.
In the wake of the incident, Ms. Roesgen "took a break for a few
weeks," according to TV Newser, and more recently reported
from Los Angeles about the death of pop singer Michael
Jackson.
Many conservative
sit blogs responded gleefully Thursday to the reported
end of Ms. Roesgen's CNN career. although veteran blogger Dan
Riehl wrote: "Actually, I hope she gets another gig. Out of work
is still out of work."
