CNBC criticized for its Facebook coverage

Frank DiGiacomo of the New York Daily News writes that CNBC is being criticized by Morgan Stanley for being overly exuberant in its Facebook coverage.

He writes, “Although the investment banking firm’s handling of the social media site’s disastrous stock offering is under scrutiny by just about every business news outlet under the sun, a Wall Street insider tells us Morgan Stanley’s corporate communications warriors are blaming CNBC for engaging in some pre-IPO hyping of their own.

“CNBC senior vice president and editor in chief Nik Deogun ‘is under fire,’ says the source. ‘Morgan Stanley is telling him, ‘How dare you criticize us when you guys promoted this IPO worse than anybody.’ ‘

“The source recalls examples of CNBC’s on-air exuberance in the days leading up to the IPO, including treating Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s entrance at the kick-off of the company’s investors road show at the Sheraton hotel in midtown as if it were ‘the President’s State of the Union Address’ with multiple cameras and reporters.

“Then on May 17, the day before the actual IPO, the hosts of CNBC’s ‘Fast Money’ appeared on camera wearing hoodies — a reference to Zuckerberg’s favorite fashion item, which came off like an homage to the baby billionaire.

“That same day, controversial ‘Mad Money’ host Jim Cramer told his viewers, who tend to be mom-and-pop investors and market-playing college students, ‘If you can get in on the actual IPO, then I think Facebook is a no-brainer.'”

Read more here.