CNN correspondent suspended for voicing support for Syrian refugees
Following a House vote on Thursday that approved strict new screening measures for Syrian and Iraqi refugees seeking to enter the United States, many critics expressed anger at what they believed to be a rejection of the American value of accepting immigrants. President Obama, for one, has vowed a veto.
However, depending on where you work, such a stance can get you into trouble, as CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott found out after tweeting that the "Statue of Liberty bows head in anguish," The Independent reports.
According to strict rules at CNN, "If you publicly declare your preference for issues or candidates or one side or the other of the public policy issues CNN reports on, then your ability to be viewed as objective is compromised." Labott followed her original tweet up with an apology, saying, "It was wrong of me to editorialize. My tweet was inappropriate and disrespectful. I sincerely apologize." She has been suspended from CNN for two weeks.
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However, Labott's original tweet remains online and has been retweeted and liked thousands of times while support has poured in from other journalists and pro-immigration supporters. "Things I can say since leaving WaPo: Bravo [Elise Labott] for what you tweeted about refugee bill," journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran said.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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