Background - CNN blinks first in battle with Israeli officials

Har har etz ^ | Sunday, June 23, 2002 Tamuz 13, 5762 | Peter Hirschberg, Ha'aretz Correspondent

[Phil V.]

w w w . h a a r e t z d a i l y . c o m

Background / CNN blinks first in battle with Israeli officials

After months of gnawing agitation over what they perceive as the pro-Palestinian bias of the international media, Israeli officials, and not a small portion of the public, were able to rub their hands with some glee Sunday as the mighty CNN news network appeared to be succumbing to the latest round of anti-media pique in Israel.

After the founder of the 24-hour news network, Ted Turner, last week described IDF actions in the West Bank as "terrorism," and reports emerged Sunday that the YES satellite company was considering taking CNN off the air as a result, the Atlanta-based company hastily dispatched a high-level official to Jerusalem.

Over the weekend, it also suddenly began airing a promo for a five-part series on the Israeli victims of Palestinian suicide bombings. "A special CNN series will take you inside everyday life in Israel and introduce you to the people whose lives are turned around by the fear and the violence," the promo announces. "In part one - living the nightmare of losing a loved one."

Ahead of his scheduled Sunday evening meeting with Eason Jordan, CNN's chief news executive, Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin announced that he would not object if Israel's cable companies submitted a request to remove the BBC - considered by many Israelis to be the most hostile of the TV networks - and CNN from the basic broadcasting package, with the stations being offered only to those viewers willing to pay extra for them. Later, Rivlin said the satellite broadcaster YES was in fact planning to submit a request to the Cable and Satellite TV Council to cease airing the BBC and CNN.

"CNN's reports are not only anti-Israeli but also encourage terrorism," Rivlin said. "If Turner had made these foolish remarks in Israel, he would have been declared persona non grata, and we are considering what to do about the network's correspondents."

Seizing the opportunity, other politicians also weighed into the international media Sunday, with Tommy Lapid venting his wrath on the British press - considered by many Israelis to be the most antagonistic toward the Jewish state. "Newspapers like the Independent and the Guardian are working in the service of the Hamas," Lapid remarked.

IDF spokesman Ron Kitri insisted all the networks were guilty of uncritically presenting the Palestinian viewpoint. "When Saeb Erekat accused Israel [on CNN] of massacring 500 Palestinians in Jenin, no questions were asked," he said. "But when we said that a few dozen were killed, we were immediately asked to back up our claim."

While Kitri said he was opposed to pulling the plug on CNN and BBC, he did offer alternative punitive measures: "If I have an exclusive interview to offer," he said, "I can give it to one network and not to another."

The YES satellite company denied the reports Sunday it was planning to submit a request to the Cable and Satellite TV Council to cease airing the BBC and CNN stations, but immediately after Turner's comments were published last week, it did add Fox News - perceived by many to be unabashedly pro-Israel - to its menu of news stations.

Army Radio ran a recorded section from a Fox program in an effort to illustrate the contrast between Fox and CNN: "Two suicide bombings in Israel in the last two days," announced the anchor. "Where do the people who do these horrible deeds get the money to do these horrible deeds?"

For all the refined talk about journalistic ethics and balance, it also emerged Sunday that the cable companies acute sensitivity to the public's dislike of the news network's coverage appears to have a strong economic component - their sense that they are paying CNN an astronomical sum for broadcast rights. "We pay CNN millions of dollars every year," said Ran Belnikov, the director-general of the cable companies. "This sum is over the top and unjustified." Belnikov did submit, though, that linking the two issue "might be a little problematic."

In an interview on Israel Television, CNN's Jordan said the network had erred in giving more air time to the family of a Palestinian suicide bomber than to his Israeli victims, and had tried to rectify the mistake.

Jordan, though, did pick up some ammunition over the weekend which he might well choose to utilize in his meetings with Israeli officials. In his talks with Palestinian officials over the weekend, he discovered, residents in the West Bank appear to be as peeved with CNN as their Israeli counterparts.

Asked about how he views CNN coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ahmed Sief, a lecturer in communications at Bir Zeit University, offered an explanation that sounded uncannily like the Palestinian version of Rivlin: "CNN covers the Israeli point of view and tends to ignore the suffering of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian side is considered less important from the news point of view and the language of the broadcast is pro-Israeli."

_{By Peter Hirschberg, Ha'aretz Correspondent}

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[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

This is a step in the right direction, but CNN has a LONG LONG way to go before I'll ever watch their skiffy TV station again. I hope they go under.

[alisasny]

This is great news. CNN comes out looking like the idiots they are....Don't hold your breath on any major change in the bais but many more people will now change the dial!!!

[mewzilla]

FOX rules.

[Bogey78O]

CNN is backpedaling since Israel told Turner to go "F" himself and are thinking of pulling CNN completely from Israeli television and revoking their press credentials.

[monkeyshine]

...we are considering what to do about the network's correspondents.

That's an easy one! LOL.

[Squantos]

I remember reading a while back a discussion between an IDF soldier and a reporter during a rock throwing riot.

The IDF soldier say's to reporter.....

we'll this riot is over .... the reporter ask's how he knows that as the rock chucking is still going on ??.......The IDF soldier notes that the BBC/CNN camera crews are putting away their cameras and gear and leaving....... the rioters won't risk getting shot if they can't be "filmed" doing it.

Sure enough the rock chuckers dropped their tools of the trade a few moments later and went home for dinner........

Communist News Network and BB-See/BB-Doo Doo clearly are in self destruct mode and I like it ! Now if NPR would just follow suit.........

Stay Safe !

[califirst]

This is a step in the right direction, but CNN has a LONG LONG way to go before I'll ever watch their skiffy TV station again. I hope they go under.

Al-Qaeda has a sympathiser in CNN's Ms. Moustache Amanpour. Terrorists worldwide, in Iraq, Palestine, Bosnia, Kashmir and the Phillipines can count on the network, to give them equal air time.

[monkeyshine]

They do come out looking like idiots. While I agree that they have failed miserably in their coverage of the middle east, they have now proved to be so malleable to pressure as to warrant a total loss of respect for their sensibilities.

They need a complete overhaul. If AOL/Time Warner wants to regain any semblence of credibility they should sack just about everyone at CNN and start over.

[Clive]

"...we are considering what to do about the network's correspondents."

"That's an easy one! LOL."

They can start by pulling Christiane Amanpour out of the Middle East.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I saw a thread the other day about PBS. From what I read, they're on the ropes big time. They're seriously hurting. I guess people aren't liking what they have to say, either.

[Squantos]

O'rielly had Susan Rook a "former" CNN Talking Head/Presstitute who admitted that she was drunk and high on drugs the entire time she was on the air pretty much..........I knew then that regarding of the suff they said.....they were on drugs for sure :o)....Now we know eh !

CNN was the pioneer of the on the spot news and for that reason I watched it versus the CBSNBCABC gundecking sh*tbirds that were available at the time. No more do I watch their "doctored" spin and shineola shows......... When I was still in the service I had a small SW radio I packed around and the BBC was the single source of news in english for the most part. No more do I listen to BBC or even watch now that they have invaded my TV in America.

Now with everyone on earth able to get a multitude of real time news reports the single most important issue for me is FACTS & TRUTH regarding what they have been told..........NOT WHAT THEY THINK !

Stay Safe !

[Lockbox]

Typical “American” journalists. Don’t wear an American Flag on your label, don’t have an American flag in you logo of the ‘War” coverage because someone may think you are bias.

Well I have some NEWS for the American Press. No matter how “FAIR” you try to be to the other side, you will always be considered American and thus the enemy. Remember Danny Pearl?

So keep up your un-bias coverage and see who watches.

By the way, the Taliban did not even allow TV in Afghanistan. And these Palestinians buy so many products for which you can sell commercials.

[OldFriend]

We don't get to see just how biased they are when it comes to their overseas broadcasting.

At least Ted Turner was good for something........the straw that broke the camel's back!!!

[McGavin999]

Over the weekend, it also suddenly began airing a promo for a five-part series on the Israeli victims of Palestinian suicide bombings. "A special CNN series will take you inside everyday life in Israel and introduce you to the people whose lives are turned around by the fear and the violence," the promo announces. "In part one - living the nightmare of losing a loved one."

Yeah, they'll try to be impartial only as long as it takes to get Israel to forget out tossing them out and then they'll revert right back to supporting the terrorists.

[Timesink]

Over the weekend, it also suddenly began airing a promo for a five-part series on the Israeli victims of Palestinian suicide bombings.

Which will air on five consecutive Saturday mornings Israeli Time.

[Timesink]

O'rielly had Susan Rook a "former" CNN Talking Head/Presstitute who admitted that she was drunk and high on drugs the entire time she was on the air pretty much...

WHAT?! When was this? I'd love to read a transcript!

[PianoMan]

FOX News...#1 at home...soon, #1 around the world.

[Squantos]

Yesterday's" O'Reilly show" on FOX News channel (rerun from Friday ??).....

She was a bit "plumper" but was very verbal as to her drinking and drug problem while on and off the air at Ted Fondas Commie News Network .....

Stay Safe !

[Ann Archy]

Susan Rook told O'Reilly that she was on CRACK!!! (I think it was O'Reilly,,,who I can only take in small doss anymore). Not only DRUNK was she but also doing CRACK!

CRACK.....I am still taking that info in and digesting it.....CRACK!!