A riveting op-ed in today's NY Times raises basic issues of editorial integrity at CNN and a new window into the tyranny of Saddam's Iraq. Technically there's no doubt that Eason Jordan has admitted a major breach of editorial integrity at CNN. CNN withheld a major conflict of interest, the Iraqi government was torturing and killing their employees and their families. We are told that this did change what they reported. It's understandable that they didn't disclose, but it's probably not okay. It immediately raises the question of what other information is CNN withholding that might color their coverage of news in Iraq and elsewhere. The second disturbing angle on this piece is its historic value that will soon disappear behind the NY Times archive firewall. What was their expense in creating this important bit of editorial? It wasn't written by an employee of the New York Times Company. Sure they probably edited it. That cost something. And someone had to prepare it for their content management system. It's using a little bit of bandwidth. But what a cost, to not have this piece available for everyone to refer to, to re-read and re-consider, over the years. It could save lives. It could serve as an example of how not to do it. It's something every journalism student should study, everywhere, forever. Something to think about.

[Source: Scripting News]
12:06:11 AM