CNN Ethics

["Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>]

Imus asked Tom Brokaw this morning about CNN setting on information they
knew about Iraq.  Brokaw said that they should have figured out some way to
report the story while protecting their employees.  He also said that
viewers would be right to wonder what else CNN may not be reporting.  Brokaw
obviously works for a competitor of CNN but I have never heard a network
anchor make such pointed comments about another news outlet.  I think this
is because CNN's conduct so clearly violated basic standards for journalism.

A former CNN reporter in Baghdad wrote yesterday that he was lorded by
former CNN President Tom Johnson to read a statement written by the Iraqi
Information Minister.  He was also criticized by colleagues for reporting a
story critical of the regime while CNN was trying to secure an interview
with Saddam Hussien.  As part of those talks, CNN had offered to give Saddam
a full hour without the interview being edited.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine