Posted on 02/14/2005 11:53:46 AM PST by Pikamax
The Jordan Kerfuffle February 14, 2005; Page A18
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 our OpinionJournal.com 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
That may be old-fashioned damage control. 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"
WSJ. . huh, what the hell are you talking about?!?! Not a firing offense? Please. And no, you are no part of the MSM. You express a conservative bent, thus, the MSM doesn't want you, you can bet your arse on that. So, embrace the New Media and take a chill pill.
But really, it's current overuse and abuse in the media is getting ridiculous.
WSJ is part of the level headed MSM. Still, I want them to publicly ask for the release of the tape, or a certified transcript of his remarks. It would be a reasonable request for level headed members of the MSM to make.
I do think this was less of a "crime", although it was plainly stupid and wrong. Not like that though.
Would that be the good judgement to avoid tossing out baseless slander regarding the American military targetting journalists? (Hint: If the US military actually had been targetting journalists, many of the journalists who did come home, wouldn't have.)
Or might that be the good judgement to actually report Saddam's atrocities in spite of jeopardizing the network's access to the country?
Those kinds of good judgement? Hmmmm.
Yes it was.
But CNN stood by Mr. Jordan back then -- in part, one suspects, because his confession implicated the whole news organization. Now CNN is throwing Mr. Jordan overboard for this much slighter transgression, despite faithful service through his entire adult career.
Yeah, he's been "faithful" all right. The man has proven himself to be a dictatorship brown-nosing, terrorist-sympathizing bomb thrower, doing and saying whatever his emotions of the moment dictate instead of soberly following the trail of the facts. He is the archetype of the modern journalist who believes that in order to be objective, you have to hate America and aid and abet America's enemies. True neutrality to him is "jingoism".
This latest event of accusing American soldiers of targeting and killing journalists cannot therefore be taken in isolation. This silence about atrocities in Baghdad is especially irresponsible because staying and reporting whatever Saddam allowed them to resulted in no more real news out of Iraq than if they pulled out. But if they did pull out, at least they would have retained their honor and dignity.
Combine that with this latest "Easongate" and you get a pattern of a guy in charge of a network who has zero credibility. He is worse than worthless, he is flat-out destructive due to lies both of omission and commission.
That may be old-fashioned damage control. But it does not speak well of CNN that it apparently allowed itself to be stampeded by this Internet and talk-show crew.
The huge difference between CNN and this "stampede" is that you get to publicly and immediately question the stampede and hold it accountable when it gets the facts wrong. Prior to the stampede's existence, there was no accountability at any network or newspaper, and it showed, all the more so now because they are now getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
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.
Yes it does, and in this CNN has failed miserably.
I read several blogs on this Eason thing, and I read not one thing that wasn't true. Everyone was trying to be accurate and find out what happened.
Contrast that with the half-truths that circulated the internet on Jeff Gannon.
I guess for all their talk about bloggers lack of professionalims, the MSM is the pot calling the kettle black.
In the news business, credibility is your product. When you have the head of your new division putting forth moonbat conspiracy theories or playing footsie with murderous dictators I'd say it was time for him to go.
Um... in classical terms, it is a hanging offense, and I don't mean "getting fired from your job" type hanging, I mean "aid and comfort" type hanging.
It's all about the tape. If they DID release the tape the situation would get WORSE for Eason and CNN (I'm sure most anyone who watched it would be just as stunned as the Davos audience at what he said), and if they DIDN'T release the tape, then the calls for its release would just keep building and building. Rock and a hard place.
Well .. I don't agree about the "crime" part. There is documented evidence Jordan has made similar statements in the past .. so this was not a first time, nor was it a one time occurrence.
I believe he resigned because he was forced out. CNN is struggling just to stay alive - against FOX. Even though they are doing better than ABC or NBC (and of course CBS), they could not afford to have all the military families desert them over such an overt remark - a remark saying the men they love and sacrifice for America's security - are murderers of media people.
If you talk to any military family - you will find a fuming outrage over Jordan's statement. And .. you have to remember, Iraq has already put out other members of the media for inciting violence. If CNN doesn't keep it's nose clean this time around - the Iraqis are not going to be so forgiving - especially after CNN kept quiet for 12 years about what Saddam was doing to them.
I want a ban on the word "Kerfuffle", effective immediately.
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