Monday, February 14, 2005
WSJ: CNN Wrong to Oust Jordan
While admitting that former CNN news chief Eason Jordan "has a knack for indefensible remarks, including a 2003 New York Times op-ed in which he admitted that CNN had remained silent about Saddam's atrocities in order to maintain its access in Baghdad," today's Wall Street Journal criticized CNN for throwing Mr. Jordan overboard for his latest comments about U.S. armed forces allegedly killing journalists deliberately.
CNN, the Journal wrote, "stood by Mr. Jordan back then - in part, one suspects, because his confession implicated the whole news organization. Now CNN is throwing Mr. Jordan overboard for this much slighter transgression, despite faithful service through his entire adult career.
"More troubling to us is that Mr. Jordan seems to have 'resigned,' if in fact he wasn't forced out, for what hardly looks like a hanging offense."
Also, though the Journal is careful to mention no one by name, it insinuates that CNN was "stampeded" into releasing Jordan by Internet outlets like NewsMax.com and the TV "talk-show crew."
WSJ writes that such people - like those talking heads on CNN's chief rival, Fox News Channel, currently whomping CNN in the ratings - and Web outlets are "amateurs" with "vendettas" against Jordan, whereas CNN and its more elderly bretheren practice "professional journalism."
While admitting that former CNN news chief Eason Jordan "has a knack for indefensible remarks, including a 2003 New York Times op-ed in which he admitted that CNN had remained silent about Saddam's atrocities in order to maintain its access in Baghdad," today's Wall Street Journal criticized CNN for throwing Mr. Jordan overboard for his latest comments about U.S. armed forces allegedly killing journalists deliberately.
CNN, the Journal wrote, "stood by Mr. Jordan back then - in part, one suspects, because his confession implicated the whole news organization. Now CNN is throwing Mr. Jordan overboard for this much slighter transgression, despite faithful service through his entire adult career.
"More troubling to us is that Mr. Jordan seems to have 'resigned,' if in fact he wasn't forced out, for what hardly looks like a hanging offense."
Also, though the Journal is careful to mention no one by name, it insinuates that CNN was "stampeded" into releasing Jordan by Internet outlets like NewsMax.com and the TV "talk-show crew."
WSJ writes that such people - like those talking heads on CNN's chief rival, Fox News Channel, currently whomping CNN in the ratings - and Web outlets are "amateurs" with "vendettas" against Jordan, whereas CNN and its more elderly bretheren practice "professional journalism."
