MediaWatch: February 1991
Table of Contents:
Legitimizing Propaganda
ARNETT'S AIR WAR
In his reports from Baghdad, CNN's Peter Arnett has gone beyond what's required of a reporter under censorship, from merely transmitting enemy propaganda to commenting on how reasonable it seemed. When he reported that Iraq claimed Allied pilots had bombed a baby-milk factory, he added that the site "looked innocent enough, from what I could see." Arnett told Newsweek: "I think the U.S. just miscalled it...there was no doubt in my mind that it was unlikely to be a supersecret facility" producing poisonous agents.
In a January 31 live report, Arnett described damaged civilian areas he saw in a government tour. Although he admitted to anchor Reid Collins that he had not seen the missiles land, he stated: "There was no doubt in my mind that the cruise missiles that came in, the two had obviously landed in these residential areas."
In early February, Arnett did a long story on how Iraqi infants would die from the lack of power to run incubators. He didn't mention that invading Iraqi troops took Kuwaiti babies out of incubators and left them to die on hospital floors.
On Larry King Live January 30, CNN Vice President Ed Turner preached: "You must avoid the appearance of cheerleading. We are, after all, at CNN, a global network. We have many nations to serve and it is part of our responsibility and our obligation to do so, if not as objectively as possible, as fairly as possible."
Another guest, Los Angeles Times critic Howard Rosenberg, wondered "does he ever confront a situation where he can no longer just be a dispassionate observer and become an American?" (For instance, if he sees U.S. POW's being abused.) No, responded Turner: "I would like to hope that Arnett would keep his own feelings to himself" and report as usual.
