Lies, Damned Lies and Network 'News'

Iraq Forum

"... at least 10 journalists have been killed by the U.S. military, and according to reports I believe to be true, journalists have been arrested and tortured by U.S. forces." —Eason Jordan, CNN executive vice president

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Eason Jordan is described by CNN as the network's "chief news executive" and the person who provides "strategic advice to CNN's senior management team." In November, he offered the above murderous assessment of America's military to a group of Portuguese journalists and got away with it. On Jan. 27, he apparently made a nearly identical outrageous, unfounded accusation at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This time he got caught -- not by his colleagues in the so-called mainstream media, but by "bloggers" who were in attendance.

Ironically, Jordan, who also chairs the CNN Editorial Board, made his most recent unsupported allegation of American military war crimes during a panel discussion titled, "Will Democracy Survive the News?" The short answer to the rhetorical question is: "not if Democracy has to depend on people like Jordan to report the news."

And therein lies the problem -- not just with Jordan's calumny about our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines, but with his colleagues in the so-called mainstream media.

The CNN executive's slander went unreported -- and apparently unchallenged -- by other potentates of the press who heard him accuse America's military of deliberately targeting and killing journalists in Iraq. Worse still, other "leaders" in the Fourth Estate are now rushing to Jordan's defense. David Gergen, editor-at-large for U.S. News & World Report and moderator of the discussion in Davos, now says Jordan had recently been to Iraq, and was "caught up in the tension of the moment" and "deserves the benefit of the doubt."

Why? Aren't news reporters supposed to have a thirst for truth? Isn't there some standard of proof or corroboration required before someone in the "news business" makes such a horrific accusation? Furthermore, why should any member of the media in attendance be let off the hook for failing to immediately jump up and demand: "Prove it!" when Jordan made his unsubstantiated charges?

Such damning allegations, if true, would make Abu Ghraib look like petty larceny. Yet, Jordan has offered no evidence to validate the alleged war crimes -- nor, apparently, has he ever proffered any witnesses or evidence of such crimes in Iraq or anywhere else.

Thankfully, not everyone in the Davos audience was as favorably disposed toward Jordan's reckless claims as his media colleagues. Left-of-center U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., released a statement saying he was "outraged" by Jordan's comments and is "tremendously proud of the sacrifice and service of American military personnel." Liberal Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank claims he contacted Jordan and demanded "specifics." Frank said he would pursue the issue if there were credible evidence. At this writing, Jordan has yet to take the congressman up on his offer.

What Jordan has done is claim that his comments in Davos were taken out of context. CNN's Howard Kurtz quotes Jordan -- ostensibly his boss -- as saying, "I wasn't as clear as I should have been on that panel."

That should be easy to prove. Though the panel discussion was "off-the-record," the event was apparently videotaped -- another fact we would not know but for the "bloggers" in attendance. Jordan, Gergen, Kurtz, et al. should call for the release of the videotape -- that way we can see who challenges Jordan's slanderous assertions against our military, and who applauds them. But it's not likely that CNN will join the bloggers in calling for release of the videotape.

According to Rony Abovitz, the Forum-sponsored blogger who first broke this story to the world, Jordan "repeated the assertion a few times, which seemed to win favor in parts of the audience and cause great strain on others." According to Abovitz, Jordan's charges met with approval among Arab attendees "who applauded and called him 'a very brave man' for speaking up against the U.S. in a public way amongst a crowd ready to hear anti-U.S. sentiments."

There is a lesson in all of this, and not just for CNN, but for all the media. Jordan's disparaging duplicity wasn't exposed by the barons of broadcasting or the potentates of print, but by "amateurs" -- bloggers -- the same "unwashed masses" who brought down Dan Rather. These e-mailing, Web-surfing, call-'em as you see-'em bloggers are the electronic equivalent of the pamphleteers who brought about our revolution.

Today, they "pass the word" faster than an official spokesman can draft a denial. They are the small "d" democrats of the new "news business" -- and more believable to many than what is presented on the tube or in the paper. To the bloggers, it's clear that if Dan Rather worked for CNN, he'd still have a job. Apparently, the network that bills itself as "the most trusted name in news" has even lower standards of proof than CBS.

Next year, the World Economic Forum will again assemble its elite, self-anointed "business, political and intellectual leaders" at the posh Swiss Alpine resort to sip champagne and discuss Orwellian ideas for making "the world a better place." They should ask Jordan to return and answer a somewhat different question: "Will CNN 'News' Survive Democracy?"

—Oliver North

Sat February 12, 2005

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CNN's chief news executive Eason Jordan quit on Friday over recent remarks he made in Switzerland about journalists killed in Iraq, possibly by U.S. forces, the television network said.

CNN said on its Web site that Jordan conceded his remarks at last month's World Economic Forum in Davos were "not as clear as they should have been." Several participants at the event said Jordan told the audience U.S. forces had deliberately targeted journalists -- a charge he denied.

Jordan quickly explained that some journalists were killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and were struck by a bomb, while others died because American forces who mistook them for the enemy.

But his comments erupted into a controversy that he said threatened to tarnish the network he helped build, according to CNN.

"After 23 years at CNN, I have decided to resign in an effort to prevent CNN from being unfairly tarnished by the controversy over conflicting accounts of my recent remarks regarding the alarming number of journalists killed in Iraq," Jordan said in a letter to colleagues.

The controversy gained steam last week, with Internet bloggers posting their accounts of what transpired at the Switzerland forum, an event attended by political, economic, academic and media figures from around the world, the CNN site said.

The Davos organizers have said the session, like most at the forum, was off-the-record, and they have refused to release a transcript to preserve their commitment.

The resignation sent shock waves through CNN, the network said, because Jordan has been long admired by his peers, from executives to the rank-and-file.

Jordan joined CNN as an assistant assignment editor in 1982 and rose through the ranks to become CNN's chief news executive.

Reuters/VNU

http://www.reuters.ca/locales/c_new...storyID=7610730

Loose lips sink CNN 'news' exec. Another one bites the dust…

More:

http://easongate.com/

Oliver North, "journalist" for the "fair and balanced" fox news makes a statement. LOL, PMSL, Ha Ha. Get this, Saddam Hussein, claims he is innocent of all wrongdoing. I believe this more than a fox news correspondant. Post an al jazeera posting, it will have more credibility.

CNN should rid itself of Eason Jordan

There is a cancer growing at CNN, and it's time it got cut out. It's time for the real deal.

Last night I told you about the noteworthy news coverage of Christiane Amanpour and Anderson Cooper while reporting on the Iraqi elections last month. Some around here may consider CNN a competitor, but I believe all news outlets should be teammates in pursuit of the truth. That's why I praise media outlets when events warrant, or tell you how they betray consumer's interests when their bias becomes apparent.

We learned this week that one of CNN's most powerful news executives told a group of world leaders overseas that American soldiers had targeted reporters for assassination.

That's right.

One of the top news executives in America spent his time before some of the most influential people on the planet telling them that American men and women deliberately targeted journalists for assassination.

Democratic Congressman Barney Frank told Michelle Malkin that after Jordan made the statements, he was so troubled that he tried to get specific examples from Jordan. But Jordan refused to provide an ounce of proof to support his outrageous charge.

Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd, a democratic leader in the upper chamber, confirmed Jordan made the outrageous comments.

CNN supporters suggested that Jordan deserved the benefit of the doubt. But this is after all, the same Eason Jordan who admitted in 2003 that he turned a blind eye to Saddam Hussein's tyranny and torture so CNN could have access to the Stalinist leader's government and keep CNN's Baghdad bureau open.

There's more: Jordan also told an audience in 2004 that American troops had arrested and tortured journalists in Iraq.

But last year's charges, like those leveled this year, were not backed up by a single fact by Mr. Jordan.

But one fact is not in dispute: this CNN leader has defamed the honor and integrity of our brave men and women in uniform by reckless charges presented in the most cowardly way: behind closed doors in conferences packed by international elites.

If Jordan thinks U.S. troops are little more than hired assassins focused on killing journalists, it is time for him to name names. Otherwise his continued attacks constitute slander. I know troops in harms way in Iraq. I have heard their inspiring stories when cameras were turned off and their babies were sleeping in their laps. They believe are exporting liberty — not assassination squads.

Ironically, it is CNN's Eason Jordan who is the assassin. Blowing away the reputations of 150,000 troops who do not know whether they will see another sunrise tomorrow. They deserve better from the press, and CNN deserves better than to have to put up with the likes of Eason Jordan.

CNN's President Jonathan Klein has gotten off to an inspiring start these past few months. He should not allow Jordan to stain his reputation, stain his network's reputation, or stain the proud professional reporters who make CNN their home.

Eason Jordan should be fired.

—Joe Scarborough