Have you ANY doubt that the same compromise has been arranged in Beijing, Pyongyang, Saigon, Havana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Teheran and countless other places in the world where ruthless tyrants seek total control of their realm?
It's always the same deal - report what we *tell* you to report or you won't continue to be our "guests".
You assume it is always the same deal. Let’s say you are correct. CNN had the option of not being a “guest.” Why did CNN choose to be a good houseguest in Iraq given such a deal? Why did they accept the deal?
Some possibilities:
They thought it a good commercial strategy and let profits define their moral center.
They were secretly working for the forces of good.
They didn’t give a damn.
They swore an oath (to what god?) of allegiance to ironic objectivity. (That is they invented some sophist reason not to give a damn.)
They were coerced to be there and behave.
Their inner self demanded that they be reporters and so they heroically accepted the deep, intimate pain of keeping the horrific news to themselves in order to attain their true calling.
They were just following orders.