NICK NEWS: THE CLINTON CRISIS {EXCERPT} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of children's news programs that answers the questions who, what, when, where, and why about each topic covered. Host Linda Ellerbee discusses with a group of school children and guests journalist Katie Couric and lawyer Reade Weingarten the current "crisis in the Clinton Presidency" and its effects on the nation. Ellerbee begins with a brief history of the facts, beginning in 1978 with Bill and Hillary Clinton's investment in a real-estate venture that became known as the Whitewater scandal. She details the way in which Kenneth Starr's investigation into the allegations of the Clintons' possibly unfair and illegal profit from that venture was the springboard to allegations by Paula Jones concerning Bill Clinton's improper behavior toward her, and to investigations into the president's consequent involvement with Monica Lewinsky. In order to address the issue of lying under oath, Ellerbee shows televised footage of Clinton first denying a relationship with Lewinsky and then affirming it. The children voice their opinions about the behavior of Congress in allowing Starr's report to be released to the media, after which Couric begins a dialogue on media coverage of the story including such topics as the appropriateness of the information for younger viewers and the differentiation between an official's private and public lives. As part of a discussion of the president's need to follow the law, Weingarten defines the role of a special prosecutor, and Ellerbee asks whether Clinton might be merely the target of his political opponents. After talking about the importance of honesty in public office, reporter Daniel Schorr explains the process of impeachment, and Weingarten describes the concept of official censure. Following clips of Clinton's apology to the public, the children suggest other methods of punishment they feel are suited to the President's actions. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Nickelodeon
- DATE: September 28, 1998
- RUNNING TIME: 0:28:01
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:57037
- GENRE: Children's; News
- SUBJECT HEADING: Impeachment; Press and politics; Scandals; She Made It Collection (Katie Couric); She Made It Collection (Linda Ellerbee); U S - Presidency
- SERIES RUN: Nickelodeon - TV series, 1992-2015
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rolfe Tessem … Executive Producer
- Linda Ellerbee … Executive Producer, Writer
- Dave Rick … Coordinating Producer
- Mark Lyons … Senior Producer
- Wally Berge … Supervising Producer
- Anne-Marie Cinniffe … Producer
- Kara Corso … Associate Producer
- Holden Kepecs … Segment Producer
- Lori Savitch … Segment Producer, Writer
- Albert Hall … Director
- Joe Curiale … Theme Music by
- Linda Ellerbee … Host
- Daniel Schorr … Commentator
- Katie Couric … Guest
- Reade Weingarten … Guest
- Clinton, Bill - 1978, 1998
- Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Paula Jones
- Monica Lewinsky
- Kenneth Starr