Posted on 02/13/2005 9:48:55 PM PST by jocon307
The writers of these columns believe that, in addition to having opinions, we are ultimately in the same information business as the rest of the press corps. Which is why we try to break news whenever we can if a story merits the attention. So it was only normal for our Bret Stephens to report a January 27 panel discussion he attended at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, during which CNN's Eason Jordan appeared to say--before he tried to unsay it--that U.S. troops had deliberately targeted journalists in Iraq. Mr. Stephens's story appeared the next day in our Political Diary, an e-mail newsletter for subscribers that is part of this Web site. It is the first account by any news organization of what has come to be known as Easongate.
By now, everyone on the Good Ship Earth knows that this particular story ended Friday with Mr. Jordan's abrupt resignation from CNN. This has certain pundits chirping delightedly. It has been a particular satisfaction to the right wing of the so-called "blogosphere," the community of writers on the Web that has pushed the Eason story relentlessly and sees it as the natural sequel to the Dan Rather fiasco of last year.
But Easongate is not Rathergate. Mr. Rather and his CBS team perpetrated a fraud during a prime-time news broadcast; stood by it as it became obvious that the key document upon which their story was based was a forgery, and accused the whistleblowers of the very partisanship they themselves were guilty of. Mr. Rather still hasn't really apologized.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Oh yeah, the culture wars continue apace, but the battle lines may be changing a bit.
I think i finally scooped you this time, sorry it had to be the last piece I'll read there.
I read that Eason Jordan was cheating on his wife with Marianne Pearl, widow of the Beheaded Daniel Pearl.
Wow...where did you read that?
I read that too, on a thread last night, IIRC.
This is the Opinion Journal with this leftist stance?
"This is the Opinion Journal with this leftist stance?"
It is. Check it out yourself, no registration required if you get it early, as with Stephens article of last week this is designated a "featured article" and will require registration if you get to it too late today.
I don't think we can even say "leftist stance" anymore, it is "elitist stance" pure and simple; or rather nuanced, complex, and un-simple.
And I say to hell with it!
Wow! Imagine if members of MSM are going to start having their personal lives scrutinized in the same way they scrutinize the personal lives of conservatives! I think it's a development they wouldn't like too much!
And, if Jordan had kept his mouth shut and never authored that op-ed, he probably would have been cut some slack this time around.
One can argue about whether or not Jordan's remarks at the WEF constituted a "firing offense". In my view, they did. But I would respect the views of others.
But, after the confession of how Eason Jordan arranged to a.) suppress the news of Saddam's brutality and atrocities and, instead, b.) broadcast propaganda paeans and puff pieces exalting Saddam, the WEF offense became unforgivable.
The two cases also demonstrate that Jordan suffers from an advanced case of Trent Lott Disease -- another "firing offense".
And this editorial also serves to demonstrate just how very difficult it is to defend Eason Jordan, based solely on professional standards.
What we are hearing are the death cries of the old MSM regime. Which is cool with me.
"And this editorial also serves to demonstrate just how very difficult it is to defend Eason Jordan, based solely on professional standards."
Yes, exactly. And yet they do; even as they plainly state he SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED BEFORE!
Tremendous. For me, this is their 3rd strike, and you know, in America that's a RULE.
OK, eason only got two, before he took himself out of the game. But let's face it, it is a game. No good reason not to play hardball.
... But it does not speak well of CNN that it apparently allowed itself to be stampeded by this Internet and talk-show crew. Of course the network must be responsive to its audience and ratings. But it has other obligations, too, chief among them to show the good judgment and sense of proportion that distinguishes professional journalism from the enthusiasms and vendettas of amateurs.
No doubt this point of view will get us described as part of the "mainstream media." But we'll take that as a compliment since we've long believed that these columns do in fact represent the American mainstream. We hope readers buy our newspaper because we make grown-up decisions about what is newsworthy, and what isn't.
I'm speechless.
I was surprised that Jordan "resigned" so easily. But this paragraph puts it in perspective for me. He'd really embarrassed CNN with his earlier indictment of them. If it was a lie, they would have fired him. This time they could do something about it.
If he did nothing wrong why did he not fight it out?
From the Washington Post:
A royal party: After former CNN Baghdad correspondent Rym Brahimi wed Prince Ali of Jordan in a private ceremony, they held a blowout (complete with fireworks) in Amman last week. Held on a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea, the celebration attracted more than 500 of the couple's closet -- and luckiest -- friends Thursday night. Royal family members included King Abdullah, Ali's half-brother, and his wife Queen Rania, Crown Prince Hamza, Princess Haya and Queen Noor. Also attending were friends of Rym's father, U.N. diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi, and many CNNers. Among them: Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf, CNN International anchor Fionnuala Sweeney and chief news exec Eason Jordan and his steady date, Mariane Pearl.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18946-2004Sep13.html
And, if Jordan had kept his mouth shut and never authored that op-ed, he probably would have been cut some slack this time around....."
Ditto that. The meter is always running in the high stakes media and damge accumulates.
We can play "Who Shot John?" or we can focus on the unbearable snotiness of these keepers of the "Temple of News" as they have termed it and of the assault by what they also have termed "CyberMcCarthyism" by amateur bloggers.
Their blindness to "Truth" is almost unbelievable.
I'm somewhat surprised by this article and the condescension towards bloggers. You're right. I certainly anticipate future battle lines shifting because of the WJS position on immigration.
ADD: Exceptions like Larry Kudlow(NRO) matter-of-factly state that bloggers are merely "doing their duty".
It will be interesting to see who's still standing when the smoke clears on this one.
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