Posted on 11/17/2006 7:14:06 AM PST by Conservababe
Midwest hotel chain drops CNN over Iraq sniper video
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A Midwest hotel chain has pulled CNN and CNN Headline News from its guest rooms and lobbies in response to the cable network's broadcast of an insurgent video showing Iraqi snipers shooting at U.S. troops. The Oct. 18 CNN broadcast, which featured edited portions of a tape the network said it obtained from the Islamic Army of Iraq rebel group, crossed the line from journalism to propaganda, said James Thompson, president of the Iowa-based Stoney Creek Hospitality Corp.
"It was shocking and repulsive," he said. "Their actions supported terrorism."
Guests at the Stoney Creek Inn's 10 properties in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin can still view Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC and other cable news channels, Thompson noted.
A network spokeswoman did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment Thursday. A CNN producer previously defended the report as an attempt to show the "unvarnished truth" about the Iraq war.
The video, which first appeared on "Anderson Cooper 360," shows uniformed U.S. soldiers mingling with Iraqi civilians in a public area. An American gunner is seen standing guard in a turret atop a U.S. military vehicle.
After the insurgent sniper confers with a spotter - presumably the person operating the video camera - a shot rings out. After a fade to black, the soldier in the turret slumps forward as the sniper's car drives away.
In a CNN Web log entry defending the segment, producer David Doss wrote that the network excluded the "actual impact of the rounds" because "a number of us felt airing that precise moment was simply too horrific."
Only portions of the tape -- which CNN said featured a total of 10 sniper attacks -- were included as part of a broader news story that also featured interviews with a U.S. sniper in Iraq and a network military analyst, Doss noted.
Thompson called his response "a moment of conscience." He said the decision to yank CNN from his hotels is permanent.
The company has locations in Columbia and St. Joseph, Mo.; Des Moines and Waukon, Iowa; East Peoria, Moline, Quincy and Galena, Ill.; and La Crosse and Wausau, Wis.
The CNN report has also raised the ire of several Republican lawmakers in Washington who asked former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to bar network reporters from traveling as embedded journalists with military units in Iraq.
On Thursday, opinions among guests were mixed at the Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia, a central Missouri college town.
Dennis Cunningham, a retired factory worker from northern Missouri staying at the hotel for several weeks while his wife undergoes brain surgery, said he supported Thompson's decision.
"I agree with him. I think it was inappropriate," Cunningham said. "We don't need to see things like that over here."
Cunningham was not aware of the hotel's decision until told by a reporter. Neither was Peter Cain of St. Louis, who like Cunningham ate breakfast near the hotel lobby as the Fox News Channel played in the background.
"If he's trying to make a statement, then why doesn't he make it known?" said Cain, referring to hotel owner Thompson. "I didn't even notice (it was missing)."
Bless them! CNN still wont get it though.
bump for Stoney Creek
I had to laugh at the man who said he didn't even miss it.
Would Jane Fonda let a member of her family participate in anti-American propaganda?
Beg pardon?
I wish more corporate entites would show similar backbone over this.
Worth a try for me!
I have overnights in StJoe, Des Moines, Moline and Wausau quite often.
I am proud of them. Showing some backbone.
Did anyone here watch TMC the day after the elections? Turner, the CLYMER, had a small break between movies and he had a clip of the WH oval office with a RED balloon flying out of the room and a lot of Red balloon flowing away in the sky while some old flick film showed them waving goodbye to the Red Balloons. UGH, I hope his fortune dries up!! I will be one of those dropping TMC outta my house!! That's too bad cause I love the old films without commercials...:(
Nice to see someone taking a stand.
"crossed the line from journalism"
Ypu mean CNN has more stuff than propaganda? Who knew?
Good for them
I applaud Mr. Thompson for his decision. This story was reported on Brit Hume's Political Grapevine last week,
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,228277,00.html
and not surprisingly it has taken a while for other media outlets to pick up on it. Any guest at a Stoney Creek Hospitality Corporation hotel will truly be smarter for not having to encounter CNN.
Never been in one of these establishments, but will consider them on my trip for my 50th HS class reunion next year in Wisconsin. Good for them!!!!
Here we are a month and a half later (and a bunch of complaints later) and CNN is still running it: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/19/iraq.sniper.video/ (Video link is on left sidebar titled "A sniper's-eye view of Iraq (5:16)")
People should be in jail for this crap.
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