The Eason Jordan Story: Enough is Freaking Enough

Okay, now this is just getting ridiculous.

Earlier this week, Eason Jordan, the man who runs CNN’s news department and a otherwise high honcho in the company made an allegation at the Davos forum in front of an international audience. He said that Coalition soldiers have been intentionally targeting and killing journalists in Iraq.

When he was challenged to produce evidence for his allegations, he backpedaled a little, then clammed up. Since then, he’s said nothing about his comments, even though he’s made similar allegations in the past.

Ed Morrisey has been all over this story from the very beginning (start with that post and scroll down and down some more). Hugh Hewitt has picked up the ball and run with it, too, to the point of interviewing the man who witnessed the allegations and reported them on the forum’s weblog.

But, to this point, only one major media outlet has even mentioned the story: the Washington Times in an editorial today.

That’s it.

That’s unacceptable. Ace has noticed this (as have about a bazillion other bloggers, but Ace says what we’ve all been thinking the best, I believe) and wonders why this isn’t news, but Dr. Dobson’s misquoted comments about Spongebob Squarepants has been all the reporting rage.

Great question. Any answers? Who can say, since the MSM appears to have developed a bad case of Reporting Laryngitis about Eason Jordan. Apparently, there’s no interest in a high executive at CNN receiving congratulatory back-slapping from from an international audience for “speaking truth to power” about how our soldiers are killing journalists on purpose.

Ace also mentions the case of the Kurtz who didn’t write in the night. Howard Kurtz is, I believe, the top media critic working in the country today. He is generally even-handed and fair, so I’m very surprised that this story hasn’t appeared on his radar quite yet either. Well, maybe it has a little. Jim Geraghty of TKS asked him that question and got the inspiring “We are taking a look”. That was yesterday.

This afternoon, I sent Kurtz an e-mail myself. I think, of all people, he ought to have at the very least mentioned the story, even if to say that he and his staff were “taking a look”. I hope I hear something from him this weekend, though to be honest I don’t expect any sort of reply. I’m a small fish in a very big pond and small fish usually don’t get answers from the big fish. Regardless of his response to me, his silence about Jordan is very disappointing. The silence of the MSM on this story is inexcuseable.

My e-mail appears below the fold.

UPDATE (10:50 PM): Sysiphean Musings has gone to the source, the head of media for the World Economic Forum, who has not only confirmed that there was a videotape of the proceedings at which Jordan made his accusation, but also is sending a copy of that tape to him. It should arrive by Wednesday and we’ll at least have the details of his remarks then.

Ed Morrisey is still on the case. He’s most definitely been out in front on this story and he’s the go-to guy for any more information and updates. He’s asked to co-sign the letter I sent to Howard Kurtz (which is still below the fold). I’ve given him permission to use the letter in any way he wants as he continues to press for the answers we all want here.

LaShawn Barber has the Mother of All Roundups on this story. Be sure to read everything to get the whole story as it stands right now. Her blog is an essential resource.

UPDATE II (11:40 PM): I’ve decided that if I’m in for a penny, I might as well be in for a pound. I’ve sent e-mails to the offices of Senator Dodd and Representative Frank asking for their accounts of what happened during that panel discussion. I can’t say that I will hear back form them before Monday, but if I don’t, I may well call their offices and see if I can get any information that way.

Mr. Kurtz,

More than 36 hours ago, CNN executive Eason Jordan apparently accused the US military of purposefully targeting journalists in Iraq and killing at least a dozen. The story was reported firsthand on the forum’s blog, spread widely around the forum’s attendees, and was apparently witnessed in part by at least two US Senators. He presented no evidence that this was true and this is apparently not the first time he’s made similar accusations.

To date, the only major media outlet to report anything on this story has been the Washington Times, in an editorial today (http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20050203-094808-5506r.htm). The story has been covered extensively by the Captain’s Quarters blog (http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/) and by Hugh Hewitt
(http://hughhewitt.com/). They’ve done nothing special to get the information they’ve gotten. They’ve contacted the forum blog author, attempted contact with Mr. Eason or his office, and researched similar statements from Eason that tends to establish his Davos comments as a recurring theme.

But we’ve heard nothing from the major media outlets reporting this as a news story in any way. Why?

There are a considerable number of people who believe that the MSM is consistently biased toward the left. This may or may not be true. But this story, and the mystifying lack of coverage, can only lend greater credence to that belief. After all, it could be immensely harmful to CNN if the American public heard that one of it’s top executives and the man responsible for its news division believes that American soldiers are purposefully killing journalists. It would be doubly harmful if we learned that he said this in front of an international audience and received cheers and accolades from some in the crowd.

What disappoints me the most is your silence. I’m sure you’ve heard about the story – you are far too media-savvy not to. But I’ve read nothing that I can recall from you on it – not even to acknowledge that the story exists. I have read that you may be working on a report on the story, and I very much hope you are, but after 36 hours, I’ve grown skeptical. I’ve come to respect you a great deal since I’ve started reading your media column in the Washington Post and I have always enjoyed “Reliable Sources”. Right now, though, it looks like this story is just passing you by, and that you’re letting it go. I’d like to believe that’s not the case.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. You may contact me at any time, should you wish to do so. Have a wonderful evening.

No related posts.

Category: Easongate