[Tamzee]

This makes it much, much worse... an interview with this gent asking him about CNN having to appease Saddam to stay in Baghdad. Jordan denies it like crazy.

---

Eason Jordan

October 25, 2002


BOB GARFIELD: After journalists were expelled from Iraq on Thursday, CNN head of news-gathering Eason Jordan, called the move "a Draconian measure that will sharply curtail the world's knowledge about what is happening in Iraq. Iraq is often displeased with CNN," says Jordan, "but especially this week when the network reported from the scene of that extraordinary protest in Baghdad."

EASON JORDAN: The big beef was that we reported that gunfire was used to disperse the demonstrators which is absolutely irrefutable fact, but the Iraqi government sometimes denies the facts and refuses to acknowledge the truth.

BOB GARFIELD: Well what kind of weird conversation is it with the Iraqi officials that you're having when you're holding up a, a piece of videotape and saying this is black and they're saying no, no that's white. It's bizarre!

EASON JORDAN: Well there are a lot of bizarre things in Iraq, and unfortunately the Iraqi officials refuse to look at the videotape because they said they didn't care what it showed or what was heard on the tape because the reality -the Iraqi reality - was very different from the actual facts.

BOB GARFIELD: I'm sure you have seen Franklin Foer's article in The New Republic which charges that the Western press is appeasing the Iraqi regime in order to maintain its visas -- to be there reporting should a war ultimately break out. What's your take on that?

EASON JORDAN: The writer clearly doesn't have a clear understanding of the realities on the ground because CNN has demonstrated again and again that it has a spine; that it's prepared to be forthright; is forthright in its reporting. We wouldn't have a team in northern Iraq right now if we didn't want to upset the Saddam Hussein regime. We wouldn't report on the demonstration if we didn't want to upset the Saddam Hussein regime. We wouldn't have been thrown out of Iraq already 5 times over the last several years if we were there to please the Saddam Hussein regime. So the story was lopsided, unfair and chose to ignore facts that would refute the premise of the article.

BOB GARFIELD: Well what is the calculus? In the New Republic article he cites the coverage of Saddam Hussein's birthday by CNN which he deemed to be not a huge news event. Are you tossing bones to Saddam Hussein in order to be there when, when it really matters?

EASON JORDAN: No. I don't think that's the case at all. Now, there is Iraqi propaganda that is news! I mean there is propaganda from a lot of governments around the world that is newsworthy and we should report on those things. Saddam Hussein's birthday is a big deal in that country. We're not reading Iraqi propaganda; we're reporting as an independent news organization.

BOB GARFIELD: Back in '91 CNN and Peter Arnett in particular were heavily criticized, mostly by civilians, for reporting from within Baghdad during the U.S. attack in ways that they'd consider to be utter propaganda and to-- out of context and not reflecting the overall reality of Saddam Hussein' regime. Have you analyzed what you can get access to without appearing to be just a propaganda tool for Saddam?

EASON JORDAN: Well absolutely. I mean we work very hard to report forthrightly, to report fairly and to report accurately and if we ever determine we cannot do that, then we would not want to be there; but we do think that some light is better than no light whatsoever. I think that the world, the American people will be shortchanged if foreign journalists are kicked out, because even in Peter Arnett's case there were things that he reported on -- and this is a long time ago now -- but things he reported on that I don't think would have been reported at all had he not been there. We feel committed to our Baghdad presence. We've had a bureau there for 12 years with occasional interruptions when we've been thrown out, but we're not there to please the Iraqi government -- we're not there to displease the Iraqi government -- we're just there to do our job.

BOB GARFIELD: Let's say there's an -- a second Gulf War. Is that the mother of all stories? Do you have to be there? Are there-- decisions you'll make on the margins to be s-- as certain as you possibly can that you will have a presence there?

EASON JORDAN: We'd very much like to be there if there's a second war; but-- we are not going to make journalistic compromises in an effort to make that happen, being mindful that in wartime there is censorship on all sides, and we're prepared to deal with a certain amount of censorship as long as it's not-- extreme, ridiculous censorship where -- which we've actually seen a number of cases in previous conflicts -- not just with Iraq. But-- sure! We want to be there, but it's --we don't want to be there come hell or high water. We want to be there if we can be there and operate as a responsible news organization.

BOB GARFIELD: Very well. Eason Jordan, thank you very much.

EASON JORDAN: Okay, thank you.

BOB GARFIELD: Eason Jordan is the chief news executive and news-gathering president for CNN News Group. He joined us from CNN studios in Atlanta. [MUSIC]

copyright 2002 WNYC Radio



http://www.wnyc.org/onthemedia/transcripts_102502_jordan.html

[dmeara]

This is morally equivalent to Scott Ritter not giving the horrid details of his tour of a children's prison in Iraq, because he thought it would start war and he was "waging peace".

This is despicable beyond words. It should be reported on every network.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Knowing what they did, CNN gave a forum to McDermott,Bonier ,Rather,Sarandon,Sean Penn,etc, so they could promote their pro Saddam agenda. Larry King Live was a nightly wet kiss to Iraq.If I had a journalism degree, I would burn it in shame and never speak of it again. Others may disagree,but,I cannot imagine Fox News looking the other way,year after year,while people were murdered and tortured.I also don't follow the Coward News Network's logic-they needed to keep quiet,so they could stay in Iraq and not report the story.Guess their motto is " Unfair and Unbalanced, We Don't Report, We Decide."

[The Great Satan]

Unbelievable. Despicable beyond belief.

[Lucas1]

It would be nice to see this at the top of the front-page news section tomorrow morning.

[DB]

A little late to have the courage to tell the truth after the fact.

[lewislynn]

things that could not be reported because doing so would have jeopardized the lives of Iraqis, particularly those on our Baghdad staff.

So it's confirmed then. Everything they've been reporting from and about Iraq for the last 12 yrs or so is all lies to protect their asses.

[.45MAN]

(((((PING))))

[Prince Charles]

I came to know several Iraqi officials well enough that they confided in me that Saddam Hussein was a maniac who had to be removed.

It's funny, but I would've never known by the quality and cotent of CNN's reporting. Not!

So now they're attempting to portray a "battered wife" defense for their endless years of promoting that satanic despot...

THIS is CNN

[RWG]

Won't reveal information to help our side because of a journalist's ethics. Pathetic excuse for anything.

[kcvl]

CNN community@cnn.com
CNN's Larry King Live LKL@turner.com
CNN allfeedback@cnn.com
CNN - Eason Jordan eason.jordan@turner.com
Dateline NBC dateline@nbc.com
Fox News foxnewsnow@foxnews.com
Fox News waronterror@foxnews.com
Fox News oreilly@foxnews.com (Bill O'Reilly)
Fox News hannity@foxnews.com (Hannity and Colmes)
Fox News special@foxnews.com (Special Report with Brit Hume)
Fox News speakout@foxnews.com
New York Times letters@nytimes.com Managing Editor, managing-editor@nytimes.com
Editorial Board, editorial@nytimes.com
New York Times on the web, web-editors@nytimes.com

[truthkeeper]

I just e-mailed this one to about a dozen people. BTTT

[mhking]

Journalistic integrity? Not...

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[tet68]

I felt awful having these stories bottled up inside me. Now that Saddam Hussein's regime is gone, I suspect we will hear many, many more gut-wrenching tales from Iraqis about the decades of torment. At last, these stories can be told freely.

I don't give a dam how you felt if you didn't have the guts
to act and do the right thing.

Another liberal says,"We knew all along, but we HAD to be silent!"
Bull crap.

Note to CNN, you were FREE to tell the truth all along.

[machman]

I think Ted Turner and all top AOL/Time Warner/CNN managment should be tried as war criminals. They were just as responsible for Sadam's and the Ba'aths party crimes as Hitler's media henchmen in WWII.

Their line is "truth? you can't handle the truth. Oh, by the way, if we tell you the real truth, it might go against our own preconceived political views, and hurt or ratings." So shut up and just listen to the lies we tell you until you believe them.

[PogySailor]

Just sick. CNN prefered to keep "our man in Baghdad" rather than report the truth about the regime. They (and the rest of the duplicitous media hacks) have the blood of tens of thousands of Iraqis on their hands.

[Leisler]

He doesn't feel as awfull as the families of the dead Marines, Army and Air Force members who's loved ones are dead or wounded. Thanks CNN, thanks leftist media pukes. Weither Clinton or Saddam, you guys always have a reason for "feeling" the way you do.

[BlueLancer]

J'ACCUSE! Hypocritical Cowards!

[William McKinley]

This is an awesomely important story, and its significance seems to go right over the head of the author.

By willingly participating in this sham, he enabled the regime and helped it portray to the world an aura of normalcy, calling question on those who spoke out about its abhorrent nature.

CNN did not have to do that. It didn't have to do the brave thing and report anyway, but it certainly didn't have to be a willful pawn in Saddam's media game. It could have chosen to not be in Iraq at all. No information would have been much superior to misleading information.

This guy, and all those like him, should feel nothing but shame. They helped this dictator.

[mombonn]

I felt awful having these stories bottled up inside me.

I hope they continue to rot your bones, you creep. I certainly hope you don't think that "telling your story" will somehow relieve you of the role you had in the MURDER and TORTURE of innocent human beings.

May you never enjoy a decent night's sleep.