Goodbye, Roberta: The CBS-Nike Connection

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

CBS News reporter Robert Baskin has a problem -- she's not getting along
with her boss. 

In October 1996, Baskin broke the story of Nike's labor practices in
Vietnam on CBS investigative program "48 Hours." Baskin traveled to
Vietnam, talked with young women who make Nike shoes and heard tales of
physical abuse, illegally low wages and long working hours. 

Now, Nike is sponsoring CBS Sports' coverage of the Winter Olympics from
Nagano. 

Earlier this month, CBS News reporters covering the Olympics appeared on
screen wearing the CBS logo on the left side of their parkas, with the
world-famous Nike logo on the right. 

Baskin hit the roof and on February 6, 1998 sent out a two- paged,
single-spaced memo to executives throughout the CBS News hierarchy. 

"As far as I could remember, in my 20 years in television journalism, it
was the first time a network news organization had allowed its
correspondents to double as billboards," Baskin wrote. 

Baskin alleged that her boss, CBS News President Andrew Heyward, vetoed
last July's scheduled rebroadcast and update of her "Nike in Vietnam"
investigation. 

"I urged 48 Hours executive producer Susan Zirinsky to change Andrew's
mind," Baskin wrote. "Zirinsky told me she overheard new Vice president
Jonathan King talking with Andrew Heyward, discussing a letter Nike had
sent to the head of CBS Sales, expressing concern over the relationship
between Nike and CBS at the Winter Games. I assumed it meant Nike probably
was going to be a prime sponsor of CBS's Olympic coverage at a cost of
millions of dollars and that Nike's concerns had to do with my report." 

Baskin said that over the past year, she has suggested follow-up reports
on Nike's labor practices when news warranted, but was told no. 

Baskin said that she also wanted to respond to a Wall Street Journal op-ed
attacking her reporting on the issue, but she was told she couldn't. 

"Last night, when I saw CBS correspondents adorned with the Nike 'swoosh,'
it became clear to me why Heyward had spiked all follow-up reports on my
Nike investigation and blocked my reply to the criticisms printed in the
Wall Street Journal," she wrote. 

In a two-page "Dear Roberta" letter, Heyward professed that he was
"shocked" and "amazed" at Baskin's "intemperate message." 

"Your circulation of allegations of this kind to virtually the entire
senior staff of CBS News without first having discussed them with me is
not only a shocking breach of professional etiquette, but entirely
unacceptable," Heyward wrote. 

Heyward said he is "instructing all CBS News correspondents in Japan to
ensure that the Nike logo is not visible when they appear on the air." 

Heyward said that he nixed Baskin's reply to the Wall Street Journal op-ed
piece because "I felt your proposed letter assumed a tone of advocacy that
was journalistically inappropriate." 

He said that the decision not to rerun Baskin's original Nike piece "had
absolutely nothing to do with Nike's relationship with CBS." 

Heyward denied spiking other news stories on Nike. 

"The simple fact is this, Roberta," Heyward lectured. "There is no
connection whatsoever -- NONE -- between Nike's sponsorship of the Olympic
Games or any other CBS program it might sponsor and CBS News coverage of
the Nike story. 

Heyward said that Baskin's sending of the memo was "reckless and
irresponsible." 

But Heyward's huffing and puffing does not change the simple fact that CBS
employees are still acting as Nike billboards. 

For while CBS News reporters might no longer be allowed to wear the Nike
"swoosh," CBS Sports said its reporters will continue to wear the "swoosh"
on their parkas. 

"Yes there is a deal," said Dana McClintock, a CBS Sports spokesperson
said from Nagano. "We can't disclose the terms of the contract, but Nike
is paying CBS and we're wearing the logo." 

McClintock said that sports reporters promoting a sponsor's product "have
become part of television sports." 

"During the last winter Olympics, reporters wore the logo of NorthFace,
and NBC reporters have worn the logo of ProPlayer," McClintock said. 

And that is part of the deal, isn't it? That's what commercial television
is about -- bowing down to the almighty corporation. 

People like CBS reporter Roberta Baskin who have the gall to question the
practices of Nike and other global corporations will be shown the door.
Goodbye, Roberta.

Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime
Reporter. Robert Weissman is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based
Multinational Monitor.

(c) Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman

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