CNN Chief Orders 'Balance' in War News

Washington Post ^ | 10/31/2001 | Howard Kurtz

[Pokey78]

The chairman of CNN has ordered his staff to balance images of civilian devastation in Afghan cities with reminders that the Taliban harbors murderous terrorists, saying it "seems perverse to focus too much on the casualties or hardship in Afghanistan."

In a memo to his international correspondents, Walter Isaacson said: "As we get good reports from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, we must redouble our efforts to make sure we do not seem to be simply reporting from their vantage or perspective. We must talk about how the Taliban are using civilian shields and how the Taliban have harbored the terrorists responsible for killing close to 5,000 innocent people."

[america-rules]

CNN Chief makes right move !

[Miss Marple]

All this and Maureen Dowd, too? Pokey, I can only credit the workings of the Lord. Nothing else explains it.

[jwalsh07]

LOL, ratings must be dropping and irate phone calls must be rising so Sir Walter decides to be fair and balanced to his own country.

[NetSurfer]

CNN striving for balance?

:::falling out of my chair:::

[Pokey78]

Ping.

[Reagan Man]

The chairman of CNN has ordered his staff to balance images of civilian devastation in Afghan cities with reminders that the Taliban harbors murderous terrorists, saying it "seems perverse to focus too much on the casualties or hardship in Afghanistan."

When I see it, I'll believe it!

Until then, it's BS!

[Brad’s Gramma]

. "You want to make sure people understand that when they see civilian suffering there, it's in the context of a terrorist attack that caused enormous suffering in the United States."

While this is absolutely correct ... what's become of this nation (news media I should say) that this even needs to be said? All the more reason I rely on FR and talk radio.

[Richard Kimball]

Actually, I believe CNN is trying to stop the bleeding of their ratings. However, if a jackass flies, even if it's only for ten feet, you've gotta be impressed.

[Ordie 1]

Since Desert Storm CNN stood for communist news network.Kind of hard to believe, did W give him a call??

[timestax]

:::falling out of my chair:::

ME TOO!

[TheLion]

So why do these idiots need to cover civilian casualties over there at all......duh? I am sorry but they, in effect, do work as a propaganda arm for our enemies!

[FReethesheeples]

Good!!

[Miss Marple]

Summer posted on another thread that Judy Woodruff ANNOUNCED this policy tonight!!! It's on the Dowd thread, in which Maureen Dowd SUPPORTS THE WAR!!

I am not making this up, I swear!!

[formernyer]

I will be ever astonished by people who only empathize with the enemy's victims, what about our own???? Why is there such a disconnect in these people's heads? Good for CNN guy. Not to exploit it of make light, but maybe an image of one or two of the inhalation anthrax cases fighting for his or her life in a hospital bed with a ditty about his/her worried/angry/sad family or even some gruesome photos of the cutaneous cases (even as opposed to the one man who has survived so far, which, don't get me wrong, is great, but there are many more afflicted people out there) would help.

[CheneyChick]

So, they finally realized how anti-American they were being?? Losers.

[John Jamieson]

Balance only makes sense when each side has equal merit. This case is 99 to 1. Balance here is still bias.

[MamaLucci]

"I want to make sure we're [CNN] not used as a propaganda platform,"

Hohoho-heeheehee...stop it, Walter...yer killin me...ROFL!

[summer]

Thank you so much, Pokey78! I guess I wasn't dreaming! :)