Taking The Icy Plunge

The NY Times delivers a comedy classic as it attempts to explain to its readers that a prominent CNN executive has resigned under fire:

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.

A "journalistic tempest"?  This is the first story to appear in the Times!  Geez, fashionably late to a party is one thing, but fashionably late to a journalistic tempest?

Though no transcript of Mr. Jordan's remarks at Davos on Jan. 27 has been released,

Love the passive voice.  Did the Times attempt to obtain a transcript?  Would they care to tell us what obstacles prevented them from getting a transcript?  Did they ask Mr. Jordan whether he could help them get a transcript?  Mightn't they mention that Mr. Jordan is not exactly pushing to have a transcript prepared from the existing video?

Or perhaps these investigative aces simply walked outside and looked up, hoping that Davos transcripts were falling from the winter sky like snowflakes.  Then, disappointed, they resumed their effort.

...Mr. Jordan was then challenged by  Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, who was in the audience.

"In the audience", on the panel, whatever.  Sen. Dodd was in the audience, but he won't be in this story.

In accepting Mr. Jordan's resignation, CNN appeared intent on putting the episode behind it as quickly as possible, perhaps in an effort to avoid repeating the drawn-out tensions last fall between CBS News and the Bush administration, as well as its conservative supporters.

Perhaps Sen. Dodd and Rep. Barney Frank were part of this sinister Bush conspiracy as well?  Oops, we aren't mentioning that.  John McCain plus fifty Senate Democrats is "bi-partisan".  I guess Dodd doesn't count.

...After broadcasting a report in early September that was critical of President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service, CBS defended the report, in the face of criticism on Web logs, for more than a week before announcing that it could not substantiate it.

Odd that the Times would overstate the power of the blogs - although bloggers were instrumental in breaking and developing the story, ABC News, the Washington Post, and the Dallas Morning News did lots of legwork and found plenty of key witnesses.  Oh, but mentioning other news services might be a bit of a reminder that other papers like the Washington Post have covered this current "tempest".  Well, sort of covered it.

Asked last night if CNN had had any contact with the Bush administration over the fallout from Mr. Jordan's remarks, a network spokeswoman, Christa Robinson, said, "Not that I'm aware of."

Such fun!  We have exerted our Dark Powers to obtain this not-to-be-believed transcript of the phone conversation between the Times Aces and the CNN spokeswoman:

The Aces:  Is there any reason to report that the dark shadow of McCarthyism is spreading, and that another honest voice of journalistic dissent has been stifled by the machinations of that evil, all-controlling White House machine?

CNN Spokeschick:  McCartney?  He was great at the Super Bowl, loved him!

Aces:  Not McCartney, McCarthy!  The falling night, the spreading shadow!  Suppression of dissent!  Is the White House behind this Eason resignation?

CNN:  Sorry, I thought you were joking.  No, not that I am aware of, although Senator Dodd and Barney Frank have been chewing on us.

Not to worry.  The Left will live, while they have the NY Times to promote their fantasies on slim evidence.

MORE:  Kurtz of the WaPo reports this as a bipartisan uprising.

Comments

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Darn, where's Arthur Miller to update 'The Crucible' when you need him.

Well, maybe one of those three CBS guys who are supposed to resign can get Eason's old job.

[TM]

Lots of links and commentary by Jeff Jarvis.

[Jor]

(One more cameo) I think Drum gets its about right.

[Cecil Turner]

"I think Drum gets its about right."

I think he soft-pedaled some of the journalistic lapses. Gilligan, for example, had a pattern of calling government statements into question (perhaps the most famous being the Baghdad Airport bit), and Eason Jordan's latest lapse reinforced his history of Saddam appeasement. But I think he got the bottom line spot-on:

And one more thing: it might be time for liberals to realize that even if we manage to collect a few scalps of our own along the way, conservatives gain strength from promoting this brand of warfare far more than liberals do. I hope we're not just being useful idiots by joining in this game.

The obvious reason, of course, is that it's more of a target-rich environment for those hunting liberal journalists.

And damn, Jor, that makes at least three sensible comments in a string (complete with useful links). The dissenting viewpoint is particularly welcome. Kick yer shoes off, set a spell.

[David/California]

I missed it, but I'm positive the infamous, "Calls to Mr. Eason for comment were not returned..." must have been in the article somewhere! That's just basic journalism, isn't it?

Ohh! Never mind... I think I answered my own question.

[Jack Buttram]

For about three years I've been writing one-minute commentaries for radio stations in NC/SC -- I posted one on "the dog that didn't bark" on 2/9 and had another ready to go on 2/14 asking when the MSM was going to wake up.... only to have my subject quit after filing time on Friday...

So... here I am Sunday evening getting a substitute out for Monday 2/14 --

***

ãJebcoinc. (Prepared for air on 02-14-05)

"JUST A MINUTE"
CNN’S JORDAN QUITS

Just a minute – "LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS" read a factory poster in World War II. CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan found that out Friday amidst a furor generated by remarks he made in Davos Switzerland last month about journalists he said the U.S. military in Iraq had tortured or killed.
We said on February ninth it was the "dog that didn’t bark" because mainstream media remained silent about Jordan.
When "the dog finally barked" Jordan backed off his ‘loose lipped’ pronouncement and excused himself saying he was quitting to avoid CNN being unfairly tarnished. But he had a previous record of being in effect a ‘loose cannon.’ He added in an internal memo he never believed journalists were killed with "ill-intent."
Those witnesses both in Switzerland and Portugal won’t let him off the hook that easy. People aren’t tortured without ill-intent. Jordan is just the most recent target of the "blogosphere," who hit the dirt after playing loose with the truth. Ask Dan Rather, Jayson Blair or for that matter – John Kerry.
¨ I’m Jack Buttram

(END)

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Glad to find this blog... enjoyed all the comments.

Jack

[Jack Tanner]

'journalistic tempest '

'he appeared to suggest that United States troops had deliberately aimed at journalists, killing some.'

I'll throw on my snide MSM voice - 'Like everybody didn't know that anyway'

[Jane Small]

Journalists have to be thickskinned and they also have to give the news like it is but with a touch of subtlety. That requires quick thinking and not only having the vocabulary but knowing how to use it effectively. Eason Jordan has that ability but when You become an icon - well you better be with it every second. There is always someone out there who wants to upend you. Eason Jordan was the one who made it possible for CNN to say they are the best. And I believe it is beginning to show they need him to keep up that reputation.

[cholo]

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