Taking The Icy Plunge
By The MinuteMan
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. |
