ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 21, 1997 TAG: 9701210065
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRIAN LOWRY LOS ANGELES TIMES
The murder of Bill Cosby's son has fueled discussion about journalistic responsibility, as reporters wrestled with questions regarding the propriety of ``staking out'' the comic's home seeking interviews.
The debate was spurred in part by Fox News Channel, a cable network launched in October, which issued a statement Friday - the day after the killing - saying its employees ``will not stake out the home of actor Bill Cosby or attempt to contact any member of the Cosby family for comment about the death of Mr. Cosby's son.''
News organizations were quick to defend their policies, and some competitors saw the Fox announcement as a potential grab for publicity. Still, most were cautious not to be too critical of the idea, which doubtless strikes a responsive chord with some members of the public.
John Moody, Fox News Channel vice president, said there was no general policy in regard to grieving families and that he didn't believe the service was behaving differently toward Cosby because of his celebrity.
``I watched Bill Cosby make a statement which obviously came from the soul. I just don't think it's appropriate to stick microphones in the guy's face,'' said Moody, who stressed that the network wasn't after publicity, despite putting out a news release about its decision.
Thursday, Cosby - confronted by reporters outside his home in New York - said of his son, 27-year-old Ennis Cosby, ``He was my hero.''
CNN - the leading cable news network - drew criticism for airing raw footage showing the slaying victim in a pool of blood. CNN later apologized on air, saying its use of such footage was inappropriate and inadvertent.
``We are not staking out the Cosby home,'' said CNN spokesman Steve Haworth. ``It is our policy always to balance the public's right to know with the aggrieved's right to privacy.''
Stations in Los Angeles offered extended coverage after the story broke last week, with most doing live ``stand-ups'' - reporting live outside the Cosby homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and in New York - throughout the day. News executives said they'll continue to cover the story but intend to be sensitive to the Cosby family.
``We're covering the story, that's all,'' said Jose Rios, news director at KTTV-TV Channel 11, the Fox station in Los Angeles. ``We're going to be respectful, the same way we would be with anybody.''
An NBC News spokeswoman said, ``We are not staking out Bill Cosby, nor do we have any requests for an interview.'' She added that such issues are addressed on a case-by-case basis.
The CBS network, which televises Cosby's current series, ``Cosby,'' on Monday nights, also is taking steps to be sensitive to the situation.
Before the killing, CBS had repeats of ``Cosby'' scheduled for the next two weeks. On Friday, the network substituted different reruns for those weeks because each episode peripherally dealt with crime-related issues.
Monday's episode was scheduled to close with a picture of Ennis Cosby and an ``In Memoriam'' tag. CBS Entertainment officials weren't publicizing that fact, concerned not to look as if they were seeking to generate attention from a tragic situation. They did consult Cosby in making the decision.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. The Cosby family in mourning: Camille and Bill Cosbyby CNBwere photographed Thursday night leaving their New York home. The
Fox News Channel has said it will not stake out the Cosby's home for
comments about their son's death. color.