Let Us Now Praise CNN
The rules prompted Jeff Jarvis to ask: "What makes NBC think it has the right to own the democratic discussion in this country?"
Now CNN has decided to make its debate coverage "available without restriction for other news outlets to excerpt, stream or otherwise use on-air and online." As Broadcasting & Cable notes, the move had been called for by political activist groups as well as Barack Obama and John Edwards
Said the network in a release: "Due to the historical nature of presidential debates and the significance of these forums to the American public, CNN believes strongly that the debates should be accessible to the public."
Writes Jarvis: "The wall has cracked."