Ronan Farrow Bans All Woody Allen Questions As He Receives... A 'Cronkite Award'?

February 26th, 2014 2:26 PM

The New York Post’s Page Six reports that journalists are being ordered to sign a form pledging they will not ask any personal questions of new MSNBC boy-wonder host Ronan Farrow if they want to attend a benefit where he will be honored Wednesday night.

Farrow is receiving the “Cronkite Award for Excellence in Exploration and Journalism” at Reach the World’s 14th annual benefit at the Princeton Club. He’s been a journalist for about 72 hours, and he’s getting a “Cronkite Award”? Obviously, this selection was made months ago.

It doesn’t matter that Farrow has built his recent name ID on joining his mother at every opportunity to trash his father and support his sister Dylan’s accusations of sexual abuse by their father. He’s also exploited his potential paternity by Frank Sinatra to promote himself. But a tip sheet includes stern “conditions” about Woody Allen questions:

“The theme of the evening is global education and service,” it says. “All press are required to stay strictly on message. Any press who ask guests or Mr. Farrow about off-message topics will be immediately escorted out of the event.”

A rep for the event further explained, “We would like you to sign the form or indicate by return e-mail that you understand our goals to stay completely on message given the surrounding circumstances. We will not tolerate press questions about personal or family affairs related to Mr. Farrow in any circumstance at this event. Farrow is not doing interviews and the rules come from his team direct to you.”

We’re also told delicate Farrow, who made his cable debut Monday with “Ronan Farrow Daily” — when he discussed topics including Lena Dunham’s battle with Jezebel and asked Michael Steele and Alex Wagner if they had ever been spanked — is getting the award because he “epitomizes the type of . . . individual who demonstrates exceptional global competence in his life’s work.”

Reach the World is a New York-city based group that promotes global literacy in the city’s public schools. In 2013, they gave their Cronkite Award to “travel writer” Andrew McCarthy, who was better known as a teenybopper-favorite Eighties movie star (Pretty In Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin ) before his latest sideline to acting.