In the wake of the terrorist attack in London, CNN rebutted claims that it "staged" a live shot of Muslims rallying against radicalism.
A video posted to YouTube shows CNN reporter Becky Anderson preparing to narrate a video of a group of self-described “Muslim Mothers” holding up signs in solidarity with the victims of the attacks and the London police.
Before Anderson begins her reporting, the demonstrators are seen being guided by police to a particular spot so that the camera can frame the shot in an area that had been blocked off by police.
CNN's PR team took to Twitter to dismiss the "staging" allegations as "nonsense."
This is nonsense. Police let demonstrators through the cordon to show their signs. CNN along with other media simply filmed them doing so.
— CNN International PR (@CNNPRUK) June 5, 2017
On "America's Newsroom," Howard Kurtz said he's inclined to believe CNN's explanation that the police were leading the demonstrators into a designated media area.
"I didn't see anything in this video that indicated that CNN corresponded or any crew members were encouraging protesters to do anything or to say anything," Kurtz said.
He said this story doesn't outrage him, although CNN host Reza Aslan's tweet about President Trump being "a piece of s***" certainly did.
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