Note To Alessandra: Anderson Cooper Didn’t Interview Nicole Richie On 360

Has Alessandra Stanley done it again? In a column saying goodbye to Ted Koppel, the NYT critic poked Anderson Cooper, calling 360 the “un-Nightline.” She says: “Mr. Cooper jumps from topic to topic at top speed, everything from grisly true-crime stories to interviews with the likes of Nicole Richie.”

But Cooper hasn’t interviewed Richie, at least not on the first two weeks of 360, a review of CNN transcripts demonstrates. In fact, Cooper’s only mention of Richie came on Nov. 11, when Cooper referenced his guest hosting of “Live with Regis & Kelly.” On the day Cooper filled in for Regis, Richie appeared to promote her new book. (“When the interview began I realized I really had nothing to ask her. She was there to promote a new book, a novel based on her life. But I couldn’t think of a thing I really wanted to know,” Cooper said.)

Perhaps Stanley is confusing 360 and Larry King Live. Last week, guest host Ryan Seacrest talked to Richie about her new book, and Cooper appeared momentarily to flirt with Seacrest and tease his broadcast.

(To be fair to Stanley, she’s technically not lying. She said “the likes of Nicole Richie.” But it’s not like Cooper is interviewing psuedo-celebrities on CNN every evening, and that’s what she is implying.)

> Update: 10:25am: Reference Tone documented last week’s mistake…

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