Cable Network Discusses Its Philanthropic Role

By Cassie Moore

CNN's involvement in philanthropy began when officials at the network noticed two trends: celebrities' growing advocacy on behalf of causes, and viewers responding to stories with e-mail messages and phone calls asking how they could help, Tonja Brown, director of strategic integration at CNN, told participants at the Council on Foundations' annual meeting last week.

"We would be missing out on opportunities if we didn't go in that direction," she said.

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