CUNA confirmed Monday it has alerted leagues and some of its members to a TV expose on financial junkets slated for possible airing this week on the ABC network and which targets a CUES Caribbean conference held two weeks ago.
To forestall serious image damage as a result of the proposed broadcast, CUNA said it has issued a series of "talking points" made available to CU managers in addressing the PR challenge once the piece is aired, officials said.
CUNA, which has been in contact with ABC officials for the past week on the possible broadcast since a news crew "at first acting like vacationing tourists" started filming attendees on the golf course and in the pools at CUES Annual Symposium held at a Marriott Hotel on the island of St. Kitts.
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CUNA, which like CUES have called the ABC actions an example of unethical "ambush journalism," said Dan Mica, president/CEO, declined an on-camera interview with an ABC reporter maintaining that material might be distorted and edited to fit a biased or negative storyline. It was uncertain when the CU piece might actually air "and so we don't know if it will be 20/20, Nightline or their Nightly News," said Mark Wolff, senior vice president and chief communications officer.
Among points stressed in the "talking points" and in reply to ABC is that CUs "have not received money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and our interest in TARP is only as a backup to our self-funded insurance system."
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