Parody found here
Posted on 02/08/2005 4:50:32 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Right-wing blogs, including Little Green Footballs, have moved their sights from CBS to CNN. At the center of the blogstorm are comments made by my former boss Eason Jordan at Davos, in which he alleged that the U.S. military had been targeting journalists in Iraq. See the original post about it by Rony Abovitz (founder of the digital surgery company Z-Kat, attending the forum as a "tech pioneer"), which he posted on the Forumblog
- an "unnoficial" blog where World Econ Forum participants posted their impressions and views about sessions they attended. The official WEF summary does not mention Eason's remarks, and there is no transcript or webcast. But I was in the room and Rony's account is consistent with what I heard. I was also contributing to the Forumblog, but to be honest, Jordan happens to be my former boss who promoted me and defended me in some rather sticky situations after my reporting angered the Chinese government. As CNN's "senior statesman" over the years, Eason has done some things I agreed with and other things I wondered about. But at least when it came to China, he was no apologist and defended my reports on human rights abuses and political dissent. So I don't feel that I'm in a position to speak objectively on this issue, especially since I haven't been in Iraq and don't know the real situation on the ground. I would very much like to hear from other journalists working in Iraq. I'd like to hear, particularly, from other CNN reporters working in Iraq. Whether they'll be willing to speak out publicly on this issue is doubtful, but maybe others will. Maybe we'll hear from some of them anonymously. Maybe Kevin Sites and other journalists blogging from Iraq will let us know what they think.
UPDATE: I have emailed people at the World Economic Forum requesting a verbatim transcript of what precisely was said during the panel in question. I have also emailed Eason Jordan asking him whether he'd like to confirm and/or clarify his comments, since I did not record the session myself and my notes are not verbatim.
12:17 PM in Davos, Iraq, Webcred, Weblogs, journalism | Permalink
They thought they were spotters for those firing on them..They were using binoculars.
http://www.nationalreview.com/tks/055682.html
Kerry Spot [ jim geraghty reporting ]
[ kerry spot home | archives | email ]
CAN THESE ACCOUNTS BE HONEST IF THEY DIFFER SO DRAMATICALLY?
A point from Jay Rosen that those digging into and writing about Eason Jordan ought to consider:
Some of you guys have to decide what you want more — dialogue with those you call the MSM (where, for example, if a blogger asks for a statement a news executive will give a statement) or do you want the opportunity for denunciation at close range?
We among the blogs make an error if we think of this controversy as “The Pajamahadeen Ride Again.”
During the Rather spat, those bothered by the story faced a two step mission: 1) proving the memos were fake and 2) getting CBS to retract the story.
In this case, before anybody starts discussing what the consequences ought to be for accusing the U.S. military of murder without evidence, first those of us following this story have to demonstrate that Eason Jordan made that charge. It is vital to clear up whether this could be, as Jordan suggests, people in the audience misinterpreting what he said.
Let us, for the moment, put aside our views about media bias. I don’t care if Eason Jordan is liberal. I care if he’s a liar.
snip
Just looking thru the threads and thought you might find this of interest.
fyi
CNN has the video?
ping
I think the posse has already saddled up!
fyi
http://sisypheanmusings.blogspot.com/2005/02/eason-jordon-wef-video_110754253214888238.html
Eason Jordon WEF Video
Mark Adams, Head of media at the World Economic Forum, replied today to my email from yesterday.
First, big kudos to Mr. Adams for the quick response! Please pass the word that I'm working this with him so please do not flood him with requests.
Second, he has confirmed that he has the video"
snip
Now they say they cannot release it without agreement from the participants. It looked like it was gettable for several days.
So there exists a Video....oh yummy!
There is a video, see above.
I have no faith that it will be revealed..call me a cynic..This blog tells who to put the pressure on in newer posts.
Remember Whoppi's video and audio tapes from when she cursed GW in front of a big group last year.
Someone got a copy of that tape to the right people, and she became a non speaker for a certain product.
I hope someone does release it..The truth is what I want.
This may turn out to be a testcase for the power of the Blogs, or Blogstorm as Hewitt calls it.
This could turn into an awesome event!
Guess I should go and see what he has on his Blog.
It is time for Eason and Churchhill to find out that there is freedom of speech in America.
However, like with Whoopie, saying really bad things and lies will no longer be tolerated in America.
The maggots of the MSM can't spike and block the stories and uproar against their fellow maggots, Eason and Churchill as they evolve on the internet.
Thanks!
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Tuesday, February 8, 2005
Radioblogger has a complete transcript from today's interview on Kudlow & Cramer. I agree, Larry Kudlow gets it.
"The Most Busted Name In News"
This Isn't Writing, It's Typing posts additional detail from a French blogger in the audience at Davos. More damning details.
In Blog I wrote about CNN's massive effort to rebrand itself as "The Most Trusted Name in News." Today, thanks to Jordan, it is the most busted name in news, and the rebranding campaign is now worse than a joke --every billboard or commercial on which it appears or is intoned is a reminder of the vast gap between the promise and the delivery. Do the Time Warner folks see the damage this erratic exec with a checkered record has done to their "up from the ashes" campaign? Jordan is also taking the brands of Davos, Howard Kurtz and the Washington Post down the well with him. Mickey Kaus isn't anyone's idea of a conservative, and his shredding of the Kurtz column has got to be the subject of some meetings around the Post today. Even David Gergen is dangerously close to getting sucked in as evidence mounts that this was a general smash and bash of the U.S. military done before an audience of mostly foreigners. (UPDATE: The Boston Globe also has a story on the controversy.)
Scrappleface launches the ridicule phase of the story.
And read the comments as well as the post here.
UPDATE: Day by Day nails CNN. The free fall in credibility continues.
How does it end? Read this over at CheatSeekingMissiles on what must be a crisis in circulation at the Los Angeles Times. (Patterico gives the background.) At first you lose a few readers/viewers, then the pace picks up, then the internet replaces the need for a morning read, and then you are offering to strip the news from your newspaper in order to keep circulation from cliffing. Wow.
Unbelievable. The Davos people refuse to provide the tape. That should signal everyone that it would go very badly for Jordan if viewed by the American audience. Jordan should be demanding its release, and journalists should be asking Jordan whether he wants it released. Senator Dodd should demand the tape as part of an look at these allegations.
The New York Sun's Roderick Boyd writes a much better introduction to the controversy surrounding Eason Jordan's remarks at Davos. Boyd highlights the relevant past remarks by Jordan and Senator Chris Dodd's statement, as well as the refusal of an Al Jazeera source to confirm one of what CaptainsQuarters calls Eason's Fables. This is a solid report that puts the burden of Jordan to answer for his charges, and Howard Kurtz's piece does not show well read alongside it. My in-box is full of denunciations of my grade of C- to Kurtz' column, but at least it is in the paper, and perhaps Kurtz will follow up with a second, more pointed story raising the questions in the previous post.
Others to read: Matt, Michelle, and Mickey (the three "Ms" would make a fine panel on the subject for any cable talker).
Easongate, Geraghty, RogerLSimon, and LaShawn for updates throughout the day. Still waiting for word if the Arab press carried word of Jordan's allegations back to their audiences. .
SisypheanMusings still hasn't gotten a firm recommitment from the Davos staff to release the tape. I think if Davos stonewalls, the appropriate response will be for American participation to cease as American bashing is one thing and to be expected, but manipulation of the record to prevent an American audience from learning about American military bashing by an American is another thing altogether. Now Eason Jordan's remarks may end up hurting the Davos brand as well as the CNN brand and other MSM brands caught flatfooted as the story breaks out.
Another account of the remarks, this from a French blogger, via This Isn't Writing, It's Typing. Wait until MEMRI finds commentary on Jordan's speech in the Arab press.
Now, here's the story that Howard Kurtz wrote for today's Washington Post. It gets a C-.
Incredibly, there is no mention of the Eason Jordan quote in the November 19, 2004 Guardian:
"Actions speak louder than words. The reality is that at least 10 journalists have been killed by the US military, and according to reports I believe to be true journalists have been arrested and tortured by US forces," Mr Jordan told an audience of news executives at the News Xchange conference in Portugal."
Kurtz quotes Jordan this way:
"In the interview last night, Jordan said he and a group of other news executives have discussed with a top Pentagon official allegations by Iraqi employees of NBC, Reuters and al-Jazeera 'who claimed to have been detained and tortured by the U.S. military. They all came out with horrific statements about what had been done to them.'"
Jordan told the Portugal audience that he believed accounts of torture. If so, why no CNN story? Why does he believe them? Kurtz ought to have asked those questions.
And the weight of evidence shows that Jordan is either lying or very, very confused about whether he brought up "targeting" in response to Barney Frank's comments, or on his own initiative: "Jordan denied that last night, saying he had been responding to Frank's comment that the 63 journalists who have been killed in Iraq were "collateral damage" in the war." No fair weighing of the various accounts can lead to accepting Jordan's recollection here. If he wants this version to stand, Jordan ought to be demanding the tape be released by Davos.
Which leads me to another key objection: Why didn't Kurtz ask if Jordan objected to the release of the video? When by virtue of your privileged position you get an exclusive --Jordan has not talked to any other journalist to my knowledge-- you have to ask the money question. And that question is about getting the tape. It would also have been extremely useful to ask whether Jordan or CNN had been in contact with Davos over the tape.
Further, why didn't Kurtz inquire about the video of the Davos people? My producer spoke with the fellow with the tape a week ago. I'd be happy to give out the number to any journalist following on the "disappearing" video.
The Kurtz story is a small start, but far from the sort of comprehensive reporting that ought to have followed a ten day delay.
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