CNN's Robertson Now Admits: Hezbollah 'Had Control' of His Anti-Israel Piece
Posted by Rich Noyes on July 24, 2006 - 15:32.
Better late than never? On CNNs Reliable Sources on Sunday, CNNs senior international correspondent Nic Robertson added all of the caveats and disclaimers that he should have included in his story last week that amounted to his giving an uncritical forum for the terrorist group Hezbollah to spout unverifiable anti-Israeli propaganda.
Back on July 18, Hezbollah took Robertson and his crew on a tour of a heavily damaged south Beirut neighborhood. The Hezbollah press officer even instructed the CNN camera: Just look. Shoot. Look at this building. Is it a military base? Is it a military base, or just civilians living in this building?
In his original story, Robertson had no complaints about the journalistic limitations of a story put together under such tight controls, and Robertson himself at one point seemed to agree with the Hezbollah propaganda claim that Israeli jets had targeted a civilian area: As we run past the rubble, we see much that points to civilian life, no evidence apparent of military equipment.
Challenged by Reliable Sources host (and Washington Post media writer) Howard Kurtz on Sunday, Robertson suggested Hezbollah has very, very sophisticated and slick media operations, that the terrorist group had control of the situation. They designated the places that we went to, and we certainly didn't have time to go into the houses or lift up the rubble to see what was underneath, and he even contradicted Hezbollahs self-serving spin: There's no doubt that the [Israeli] bombs there are hitting Hezbollah facilities.
More: http://newsbusters.org/node/6552
Posted by Rich Noyes on July 24, 2006 - 15:32.
Better late than never? On CNNs Reliable Sources on Sunday, CNNs senior international correspondent Nic Robertson added all of the caveats and disclaimers that he should have included in his story last week that amounted to his giving an uncritical forum for the terrorist group Hezbollah to spout unverifiable anti-Israeli propaganda.
Back on July 18, Hezbollah took Robertson and his crew on a tour of a heavily damaged south Beirut neighborhood. The Hezbollah press officer even instructed the CNN camera: Just look. Shoot. Look at this building. Is it a military base? Is it a military base, or just civilians living in this building?
In his original story, Robertson had no complaints about the journalistic limitations of a story put together under such tight controls, and Robertson himself at one point seemed to agree with the Hezbollah propaganda claim that Israeli jets had targeted a civilian area: As we run past the rubble, we see much that points to civilian life, no evidence apparent of military equipment.
Challenged by Reliable Sources host (and Washington Post media writer) Howard Kurtz on Sunday, Robertson suggested Hezbollah has very, very sophisticated and slick media operations, that the terrorist group had control of the situation. They designated the places that we went to, and we certainly didn't have time to go into the houses or lift up the rubble to see what was underneath, and he even contradicted Hezbollahs self-serving spin: There's no doubt that the [Israeli] bombs there are hitting Hezbollah facilities.
More: http://newsbusters.org/node/6552
