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Analysis and Discussion of Media Corruption

Update: from Reliable Sources: transcript -- CNN RELIABLE SOURCES -- Eason Jordan Resigns -- the Frontline program on media corruption Aired February 13, 2005

CNN RELIABLE SOURCES -- Eason Jordan Resigns

[. . . . ] HOWARD KURTZ, HOST (voice-over): CNN executive Eason Jordan resigns over his remarks on U.S. soldiers killing journalists in Iraq. Was he too slow to apologize? And did bloggers help seal his fate?

Jeff Gannon, who covered the White House for a conservative Web site, quits under fire. Is he a journalist? What about all those talk show hosts and pundits who came from the political world, or still advise politicians? What about a new generation of bloggers? Just who is a journalist anyway?

We'll ask David Gergen, Bill Press and blogger Jeff Jarvis.

Also, John Dean sparks a media frenzy with a few words about a secret Watergate source. What explains the endless fascination with Deep Throat?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KURTZ: Welcome to RELIABLE SOURCES, where today we turn our critical lens on two dramatic resignations, in which bloggers, both conservative and liberal, played a critical role.

I'm Howard Kurtz.

CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan resigned Friday night, two weeks after sparking a furor over comments he made at a conference in Davos, Switzerland, about U.S. soldiers targeting journalists in Iraq. Jordan says he backed off the statement when challenged, and that his mistake was saying that the military intentionally targeted journalists. Jordan says he never stated, believed or suspected that U.S. military forces intended to kill people they knew to be journalists, and that he apologizes to anyone who thought he said otherwise.

But there are conflicting accounts of how far he backed off at the conference.

The controversy over the remarks raged mostly online, on sites by "National Review" and radio host Hugh Hewitt and others. In the mainstream press, there were a handful of stories, one by me in "The Washington Post," others in "The Boston Globe," "Wall Street Journal" and "Miami Herald," but nothing in "The New York Times," "Los Angeles Times," "Chicago Tribune," "USA Today," and nothing on CNN itself. Although Jordan was criticized on talk shows on FOX, CNBC and MSNBC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE SCARBOROUGH, HOST, SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY: This CNN leader has defamed the honor and integrity of our brave men and women in uniform by reckless charges that were presented in the most cowardly way, behind closed doors in conferences packed by international elites. [. . . . ]

Check the whole thing. Scroll down to the article below before you link:

John Burns: 'There Is Corruption in Our Business'




By the time the mainstream media finishes spinning, CNN's Eason Jordan will have been a saint brought down people who don't know squat about the news "business".

"Reliable Sources" airs Sundays from 11:30 a.m.-noon ET with Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post on CNN

Note: This is posted late so the program has finished for today, but I am including it to bring it to your attention for next week. This program has relevance to the next article, which is a 'must read'.

Reliable Sources

CNN's "Reliable Sources" continues its successful run as one of television's few weekly programs to examine the performance of the media. Host Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post is the nation's premier media critic, and each week he questions print and broadcast journalists about the stories they're covering. "Reliable Sources" airs Sundays from 11:30 a.m.-noon ET.

Every week, Howard Kurtz moderates a panel discussion or conducts a one-on-one interview with a top journalist or major newsmaker. "Reliable Sources" brings together the talents and insights of print journalists, television correspondents and media analysts every week to turn a critical lens on the news media. Guests have included Bob Woodward, Walter Cronkite, Tim Russert, Dan Rather, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, and even George Clooney.

Over the past year, the show has dissected such topics as the scandals at The New York Times and USA Today, the performance of the press before and during the war in Iraq, coverage of the Laci Peterson, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson cases, the 2004 election, and much more.

John Burns: 'There Is Corruption in Our Business'

"I was denied a visa. Then I found there were visas available. I was in Amman. Some of my rivals who had omitted to notice that Iraq was a terror state were busy here sucking up."

John Burns: 'There Is Corruption in Our Business' September 15, 2003

The following are the words of New York Times correspondent John F. Burns, on his experiences reporting from Baghdad during the war. Excerpted from the book Embedded: The Media at War in Iraq, an Oral History by Bill Katovsky and Timothy Carlson, published . . .The Lyons Press, used with permission.

From the point of view of my being in Baghdad, I had more authority than anybody else. Without contest, I was the most closely watched and unfavored of all the correspondents there because of what I wrote about terror whilst Saddam Hussein was still in power.

Terror, totalitarian states, and their ways are nothing new to me, but I felt from the start that this was in a category by itself, with the possible exception in the present world of North Korea. I felt that that was the central truth that has to be told about this place. It was also the essential truth that was untold by the vast majority of correspondents here. Why? Because they judged that the only way they could keep themselves in play here was to pretend that it was okay.

There were correspondents who thought it appropriate to seek the approbation of the people who governed their lives. This was the ministry of information, and particularly the director of the ministry. By taking him out for long candlelit dinners, plying him with sweet cakes, plying him with mobile phones at $600 each for members of his family, and giving bribes of thousands of dollars. Senior members of the information ministry took hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes from these television correspondents who then behaved as if they were in Belgium. They never mentioned the function of minders. Never mentioned terror.

[. . . . ]

Search: Mukhabarat, CIA agent, "safety at a critical moment", "panic among journalists", "$200,000", "obligation of telling the truth", Uday Hussein, "the bravery of the people of a city that was being murdered"

Just go and read it.




Jack Kelly: The mainstream, out of it -- The leaders of major media persist in ignoring their eroding influence

The mainstream, out of it February 13, 2005

When the Web logger Laer ("Cheat Seeking Missiles") called to cancel his 25-year subscription to the Los Angeles Times last Monday, he was made an extraordinary offer. The circulation service rep, detecting that he was fed up with the paper's liberal bias, offered to sell him the newspaper without the news sections. Laer was thunderstruck.[. . . . ]

And in Canada, we are stuck with a taxpayer funded CBC (utterly biased) and the rest of the mainstream media that rely on the CRTC -- so must court government good will. We will never be free until we have freedom of the press -- and that means no government interference overtly and no having to self-censor in order to stay in business. Web logs are part of the solution but they rely on good journalists and on personal connections. They don't look as though they can make a living so -- what next?

"It's fun to shoot some people," Lt. Gen. James Mattis said at a conference in San Diego on Feb. 1. "You go into Afghanistan, you've got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. Guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway, so it's a helluva lot of fun to shoot them."
Mattis' remarks caused conniption fits throughout the news media. . . .

Mattis -- arguably our most effective combat leader -- already has been ably defended by my friends Ralph Peters and Mac Owens. But I enthusiastically second his sentiment. If I were still a young Marine, I would take enormous pleasure in personally sending Islamofascists to hell.

I'm with Mattis, but that's not pc, is it? But, for some women's imaginations . . . . . it is exactly what we think!



U.S. fugitive nabbed here -- CAR SPOTTED WITH ALLEGED GANGSTER SOUGHT IN KILLING

Score one for the good guys -- notice how easy it is to get I.D.

Just 36,000 more to go -- how did this get into Canada? He's only 22 and he can buy a house? Does nobody raise an eyebrow? What was his day job?

U.S. fugitive nabbed here Alan Cairns, Toronto Sun

A REPUTED Vietnamese gangster wanted for an execution-style murder in Virginia is behind bars in Toronto and facing extradition. Henh Chu Ngo, 22, had lived comfortably in Canada under the fake name of Bobby Chang -- complete with credit and bank cards, Ontario driver's licence and vehicle registration -- after he snuck across the border in January 2003 following the alleged slaying of a gang rival.

But his carefree life as Chang came to an abrupt end late Thursday when members of the joint forces Immigration Task Force (ITF) and Toronto Police canine units arrested him in a high-risk takedown in the west end. [. . . . ]

Search: Immigration Task Force (ITF) , marijuana grow house, Montreal, and extradition.

Guess what the next step is. Why, he might actually be punished in the US so someone--taxpayers?--will pay lawyers for this piece of (censored strong language)-- who allegedly would otherwise be selling to your kids and the Canadian Charter will protect his rights over yours.

Did you note the false documents? Meanwhile Canada's Prime Minister ignores security and concentrates on business -- but he is helping other businessmen, of course.




PM's Photo Op in China -- a networking opportunity for all

China, Canada sign energy agreements -- photo of Canada's PM on a government-business trip -- and another source for information Jiang Zhuqing (China Daily), Jan. 21, 05

[. . . . ] The National Development and Reform Commission and Natural Resources Canada will maintain regular dialogue and exchanges of views. Contacts will be conducted through the Canada-China Joint Working Group on Energy Co-operation, under a 2001 memorandum of understanding (MOU) concerning co-operation in energy, the statement said.

[. . . . ] "The work of the group will initially focus on enhancing our partnership in the fields of multilateral co-operation, natural resources and energy, and trade and investment," the document said. It will also tackle global security and multilateral co-operation, prosperity and sustainable growth, as well as promote people-to-people ties.

[. . . . ] "The Canadian business committee are here not for short-term prospects... but for a long-term co-operation," said Martin.

A total of 13 statements, agreements and MOUs were signed between China and Canada, on co-operation in energy and minerals, culture, telecommunications and other sectors. [. . . . ]

Brad Kasal - A US Marine First Sergeant You Should Know

From an Iowa Town to Marine Corps LegendBlackfive (Best Military Blog), Feb. 5, Nathaniel R. Helms -- Check for the photo

U.S. Marine Corps First Sergeant Brad Kasal is an American hero. His story is a remarkable tale of bravery, sacrifice and savagery that adds another page to the great book of American military lore. [. . . . ]