Broadsheet: CNN Executive Resigns Post Over Remarks

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. - Cyril Connolly

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Well, this finally made the NYT. "Eason Jordan , a senior executive at CNN who was responsible for coordinating the cable network's Iraq coverage, resigned abruptly last night, citing a journalistic tempest he touched off during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, late last month in which he appeared to suggest that United States troops had deliberately aimed at journalists, killing some."

I hadn't bothered to comment on this, although I was following it pretty closely, only because most of the blogosphere (particularly the more conservative sites) was abuzz over it already. If you haven't heard about this, and want to get caught up, just go over to instapundit.com where it's covered in much greater detail. At last count, there were something like 15 or 16 posts about it and a ton of links. And why this "scandal" deserves it's own website seems a little over done to me.

Like most people, I'm a little perplexed as to why Jordan just didn't request a release of the video from his remarks at Davos, or at least a transcript of them, and just say - "oops - I might have overstated / mispoken in this regard", or "see - I was taken out of context". But instead he obfuscated the whole thing and ended an otherwise well respected career at CNN.

I'm just not sure I get it. And to be honest, I'm not sure why it's such a big deal, because even the THOUGHT that the US military has a policy directed at killing journalists just seems like whacky conspiracy theory stuff. Journalists are more "embedded" in this war than many previous wars, and when you're all decked out in military fatigues and a flak jacket, and hoist a shoulder mounted video camera unit onto your shoulder and aim it in the direction of a gun battle, from a distance, that's gonna look exactly like a shoulder mounted grenade launcher. Makes a good target.

Now while I may not be a conspiracy theorist in regards to Eason's statements, I have to believe that not everyone at CNN (cough, Jonathan Klein, cough) is sorry to see him go.

posted by Broadsheet @ 9:18 AM

3 Editorial Opinions:

At February 12, 2005, jwer said…

When I was about 8, I could tell what sort of military jet was flying overhead based on the shape of its wings and fuselage from 10,000 feet below.

If any of our soldiers can't tell the difference between an RPG and a videocamera, from any firing distance, they should immediately be relieved of duty.

That would be like police officers not being able to tell a wallet from a gun. Oh, wait.
At February 13, 2005, Anonymous said…

Random Notes:

Everything deserves a website, Linda; that's the frickin' point of it all. Whether or not one chooses to read it, that's another story. What's wrong with EasonGate.com (well, aside from the tired name) putting pressure on a major-media figure for an idiot move?

Yes, the righty blogosphere was in the driver's seat on this one, but I think it's worth mentioning that -- given MSM's reticence -- the lead shotgun riders were noted conservatives Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. So the lefty blogosphere is well to the left of Barney Frank and we wonder why we can't hold the South???

Oh, and for Instapundit tourists, here's a link specifically to stories mentioning Jordan (some of which predate the current controversy): Jordan on Instapundit.

Jwer, point taken, but I don't think those A10s and F15s were -- or had ever previously -- fired on you.
At February 14, 2005, jwer said…

Mark: That's true, but I'd like to think that, were I to be put under fire, I'd've been given substantial training in threat recognition and I'd be getting good intel as to the location of friendlies.

And if our troops are in a firefight in which they have no clue where their foes are or what they're armed with, the fault just keeps going on up the chain of command, doesn't it?

Like it or not, the responsibility for every casualty in every Bush War is squarely on Chimpy's sagging shoulders.