CNN News Executive Eason Jordan Quits

AP ^ | 2/11/05 | By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

[JesseJane]

NEW YORK - CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan quit Friday amidst a furor over remarks he made in Switzerland last month about journalists killed by the U.S. military in Iraq (news - web sites).

Jordan said he was quitting to avoid CNN being "unfairly tarnished" by the controversy.

During a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum (news - web sites) last month, Jordan said he believed that several journalists who were killed by coalition forces in Iraq had been targeted.

He quickly backed off the remarks, explaining that he meant to distinguish between journalists killed because they were in the wrong place where a bomb fell, for example, and those killed because they were shot at by American forces who mistook them for the enemy.

"I never meant to imply U.S. forces acted with ill intent when U.S. forces accidentally killed journalists, and I apologize to anyone who thought I said or believed otherwise," Jordan said in a memo to fellow staff members at CNN.

But the damage had been done, compounded by the fact that no transcript of his actual remarks has turned up. There was an online petition calling on CNN to find a transcript, and fire Jordan if he said the military had intentionally killed journalists.

[SkyPilot]

EASON JORDAN JUST RESIGNED (Updated Info) - posted at 6:37pm EST

[marty60]

YESSSS!!!!!

[JesseJane]

Someone probably saw the tape, it's indefensible, and CNN would rather just cut their losses at this point. Was he pushed?? Oh, I'm sure as a liberal, he'll tell us what REALLY happened... they can never suffer due humiliation without retaliation.

[Nicholas Conradin]

Having demonstrated that he is highly qualified, Jordan is now free to accept a job as a reporter for The New York Times.

[PGalt]

Truth vs. Eason Jordan

[Petronski]

It was a conservative e-valanche.

[joedelta]

That was classic!

[JesseJane]

Well, this win was for all of us who support the military, IMO. IF the lefties did, this would've already been a done deal, with dust on the story.

[marty60]

He knew exactly what he was saying

Exactly, he can't play dum-b on this one. if he does then maybe we have part of the problem with CNN. They hire idiots to run the place.

[WVNan]

Okay, score one for each side. Jeff Gannon/Eason Jordan. That makes it a tie. Who do we go after next?

[ArmyBratproud]

"I'm Scared"

[FormerACLUmember]

I am waiting for stockholder revolts at the parent companies of CNN, CBS, etc.

As the democrat party management operatives drive CNN credibility and ratings into the ground, one would hope that stockholders become livid and litiginous at the liberals destroying the franchises.

[ArmyBratproud]

Rather and Jordan are big hits.

[JesseJane]

Thanks for the ping SP! :)

[WVNan]

You're right. Our scores are bigger.

[JesseJane]

LOL, is Jason Blairs seat still empty??

[Cicero]

Maybe he can get a job with his old pal, Saddam Hussein.

[maine-iac7]

avoid CNN being "unfairly tarnished

but okay to slime troops

[conservativecorner]

The be-aches are falling like flies. It's got to be a real bummer not being able to fabricate stories out of thin air, and have the public believe it with nary a word. It's a new world MSM, and things you say can and will be used against you in exposing the truth.

[JesseJane]

Actually, it's be nice if they shared a cell, no?