Background / CNN blinks first in battle with Israeli officials

June 23, 2002

By Peter Hirschberg, Ha'aretz Correspondent

After months of gnawing agitation over what they perceive as the pro-Palestinian bias of the international media, Israeli officials, and not a small portion of the public, were able to rub their hands with some glee Sunday as the mighty CNN news network appeared to be succumbing to the latest round of anti-media pique in Israel.

After the founder of the 24-hour news network, Ted Turner, last week described IDF actions in the West Bank as "terrorism," and reports emerged Sunday that the YES satellite company was considering taking CNN off the air as a result, the Atlanta-based company hastily dispatched a high-level official to Jerusalem.

Over the weekend, it also suddenly began airing a promo for a five-part series on the Israeli victims of Palestinian suicide bombings. "A special CNN series will take you inside everyday life in Israel and introduce you to the people whose lives are turned around by the fear and the violence," the promo announces. "In part one - living the nightmare of losing a loved one."

Ahead of his scheduled Sunday evening meeting with Eason Jordan, CNN's chief news executive, Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin announced that he would not object if Israel's cable companies submitted a request to remove the BBC - considered by many Israelis to be the most hostile of the TV networks - and CNN from the basic broadcasting package, with the stations being offered only to those viewers willing to pay extra for them. Later, Rivlin said the satellite broadcaster YES was in fact planning to submit a request to the Cable and Satellite TV Council to cease airing the BBC and CNN.

"CNN's reports are not only anti-Israeli but also encourage terrorism," Rivlin said. "If Turner had made these foolish remarks in Israel, he would have been declared persona non grata, and we are considering what to do about the network's correspondents."

Seizing the opportunity, other politicians also weighed into the international media Sunday, with Tommy Lapid venting his wrath on the British press - considered by many Israelis to be the most antagonistic toward the Jewish state. "Newspapers like the Independent and the Guardian are working in the service of the Hamas," Lapid remarked.

IDF spokesman Ron Kitri insisted all the networks were guilty of uncritically presenting the Palestinian viewpoint. "When Saeb Erekat accused Israel [on CNN] of massacring 500 Palestinians in Jenin, no questions were asked," he said. "But when we said that a few dozen were killed, we were immediately asked to back up our claim."

While Kitri said he was opposed to pulling the plug on CNN and BBC, he did offer alternative punitive measures: "If I have an exclusive interview to offer," he said, "I can give it to one network and not to another."

The YES satellite company denied the reports Sunday it was planning to submit a request to the Cable and Satellite TV Council to cease airing the BBC and CNN stations, but immediately after Turner's comments were published last week, it did add Fox News - perceived by many to be unabashedly pro-Israel - to its menu of news stations.

Army Radio ran a recorded section from a Fox program in an effort to illustrate the contrast between Fox and CNN: "Two suicide bombings in Israel in the last two days," announced the anchor. "Where do the people who do these horrible deeds get the money to do these horrible deeds?"

For all the refined talk about journalistic ethics and balance, it also emerged Sunday that the cable companies acute sensitivity to the public's dislike of the news networks coverage appears to have a strong economic component - their sense that they are paying CNN an astronomical sum for broadcast rights. "We pay CNN millions of dollars every year," said Ran Belnikov, the director-general of the cable companies. "This sum is over the top and unjustified." Belnikov did submit, though, that linking the two issue "might be a little problematic."

CNN's Jordan, though, did pick up some ammunition over the weekend which he might well choose to utilize in his meeting with Rivlin. In his meetings with Palestinian officials over the weekend, he discovered, residents in the West Bank appear to be as peeved with CNN as their Israeli counterparts.

Asked about how he views CNN coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ahmed Sief, a lecturer in communications at Bir Zeit University, offered an explanation that sounded uncannily like the Palestinian version of Rivlin: "CNN covers the Israeli point of view and tends to ignore the suffering of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian side is considered less important from the news point of view and the language of the broadcast is pro-Israeli.

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CNN Chief accuses Israel of Terror

Oliver Burkeman in New York and Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem

Tuesday June 18, 2002

The Guardian

Ted Turner, the billionaire founder of CNN, accuses Israel today of engaging in "terrorism" against the Palestinians, in comments that threaten to lead to a further decline in the news network's already poor relations with the Jewish state.

"Aren't the Israelis and the Palestinians both terrorising each other?" says Turner, who is vice-chairman of AOL Time Warner, which owns CNN, in an exclusive interview with the Guardian.

"The Palestinians are fighting with human suicide bombers, that's all they have. The Israelis ... they've got one of the most powerful military machines in the world. The Palestinians have nothing. So who are the terrorists? I would make a case that both sides are involved in terrorism."

His remarks were last night condemned by Ariel Sharon's government, which called them "stupid". Andrea Levin, director of the American pro-Israeli media watchdog Camera, said the comments were a "reprehensible" attempt to "blur the line between perpetrator and victim".

In his first British interview since the September 11 attacks, Mr Turner - who broke philanthropic records in 1997 when he donated $1bn to the UN - argues that poverty and desperation are the root cause of Palestinian suicide bombings.

But Daniel Seaman, a spokesman for the Israeli government, said: "My only advice to Ted Turner is if people assume you are stupid, it is just best to keep your mouth shut rather than open your mouth and confirm everyone in that view."

Mr Turner also admits that he was wrong to call the September 11 hijackers "brave" in a speech in Rhode Island that sparked outrage. "I made an unfortunate choice of words," he says, adding that his ownership of the Atlanta Braves baseball team meant the word was never far from his mind. "Look, I'm a very good thinker, but I sometimes grab the wrong word ... I mean, I don't type my speeches, then sit up there and read them off the teleprompter, you know. I wing it."

Mr Turner is moved to tears at one point in the interview by the "depressing" combination of conflicts like that in the Middle East and the state of the environment, which he says demands massive global attention - "or, you know ... it's goodbye".

A senior minister in Yasser Arafat's cabinet told the Guardian he welcomed Mr Turner's comments. Many Palestinians complain just as bitterly of a pro-Israeli bias in CNN's coverage - mocking it as the "Zionist News Network" - as Israel complains of a pro-Palestinian one.

"I feel it reflects a more consistent approach," said Ghassan Khatib, Mr Arafat's newly appointed labour minister and until recently director of the Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre, a Palestinian media monitoring unit.

"One of the problems in trying to reduce the violence has been the focus of so much international attention on Israeli rather than Palestinian civilian deaths, although four times as many Palestinians have been killed."

CNN has been a punchbag for both sides. A widespread perception of bias among some Israelis and US supporters of Israel has prompted several boycotts by pressure groups, urging viewers to switch to Rupert Murdoch's Fox News channel. But three months ago, in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Mr Arafat slammed down the phone after accusing her of anti-Palestinian bias. "You are covering with these questions the terrorist activities of the Israeli occupation and the Israeli crimes," he said. "Be quiet. Be fair. Thank you, bye-bye."

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002

June 23. Israeli radio 7 a.m. report:

The chief news executive and news gathering president of CNN cable television network, Eason Jordan, will meet with Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin today. He will hear from Rivlin about Israel's complaints regarding the nature of the coverage the network gives to events in Israel. Jordan said that that CNN correspondent Wolf Blitzer was assigned the preparation of a five part series on the victims of terror attacks Israel. Yesterday, Minister Rivlin said that he would not object to taking CNN off the air, if he receives such a request for financial reasons or according to requests by viewers. He said that the Yes satellite company is about to submit a request to the Cable and Satellite Broadcast Board to remove BBC's news channel from its basic viewing package. In a radio interview, the communications minister said that should he receive such a request, BBC executives will be called in for a hearing, and his ministry would not object to removing the channel. Rivlin said he would consider allowing people who wish to watch the channels to pay for it separately.

LISTENING TO VIEWERS

CNN: WE WON'T BROADCAST PALESTINIANS' SUICIDE TAPES

Ma'ariv (p. 12) by Hagai Krauss and Gabby Kessler -- Executives at CNN have asked the correspondent Wolf Blitzer to prepare a series of programs that will present the stories of five families who were hurt by terrorism.

CNN executives are deeply concerned about the public mood in Israel regarding their coverage of events in Israel and the territories. Network executives have taken very seriously the threats by the cable companies to stop broadcasting their channel in Israel, claiming that such a measure would be in response to viewers' requests.

The director of the network's news division, Eason Jordan, is to arrive in Israel today. Jordan is to meet with media and public relations executives in Israel in the course of his urgent meetings. The reason for his visit is the complaint about a lack of objectivity in the network's coverage of the events and the statements made by the founder of the network, Ted Turner, who equated between IDF activity in the territories and the suicide bombers. Jordan is also to meet with Communications Minister Ruby Rivlin this evening. Rivlin said yesterday that the possibility of taking the BBC off the air was also being examined. He said that any subscriber to cable television would be able to receive the BBC as part of a package.

Prior to his departure, Jordan announced that CNN would not broadcast any more video cassettes left behind by Palestinian suicide bombers before their mission. Jordan said: a distinction needs to be made between being fair and being balanced when youre talking about terror. Naturally, all the parties need to be given an opportunity to be heard, but we won't give terrorists and their supporters the same air time we give the victims of terror, said Jordan.

Jordan instructed his editors not to broadcast the tapes left behind by suicide bombers or the reactions of their relatives unless there is an unusual reason. CNN officials said that similar instructions were received about bin Laden's tapes.

The satellite television operator, Yes, began to air Fox News on Thursday. Fox is considered to be pro-Israel and is particularly appreciated by American Jews. Fox is considered to be CNN's most bitter enemy and, for the first time since going on the air in 1996, last January its ratings exceeded those of CNN.

RIVLIN TO WORLD JEWRY: BOYCOTT CNN

Yedioth Ahronoth (p. 11) by Eran Hadas and Itamar Eichner -- Communications Minister Ruby Rivlin called this weekend on the Jews of the world and on anyone with a conscience to boycott CNN, to refrain from advertising on it and to refrain from paying subscription fees to watch it.

"The network's broadcasts are hostile to Israel. Its position vis-a-vis Israel is immoral and it does not meet journalistic criteria," Rivlin told Yedioth Ahronoth.

Rivlin said that he asked all the government ministers to agree to be interviewed by CNN only in live broadcasts so that the network will not be able to edit the statements and distort them.

SENT TO PMWATCH - APRIL 12, 2002 --

I would like to share with you, and anyone else in this world who needs to know, the true side of CNN. I have been writing them regularly through Palestine Media Watch (www.pmwatch.org) about their biased reporting. I have never received a response other than thank you for contacting CNN.

Yesterday following the bombing attack in Jerusalem which the showed over and over again as IDF forces kept a black out on Jenin so they could and can most likely cover their tracks, I wrote a letter beginning by saying it was a terrrible waste of life. I then went on with my complaint. I guess they didn't read further or got confused for they wrote me a very defensive letter which I have attached.[....]

>From: CNN NSP

>Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 18:10:22 -0400

>Thank you for your comments about CNN's reporting . CNN and CNN International broadcast live 24 hours a day. We think it is important that you see the full complement of CNN's reporting just over the last few days.

>

>In just the last week, CNN has provided separate news reports from CNN correspondents about:

>

>* The impact of the suicide bombings on the people of Israel: its businesses, tourism, children, schools >

>* The increasing fighting at the Lebanon border and the growing threat from that direction, >

>* The meaning of remembering the Holocaust in the midst of this newest conflict, >

>* Even a story on those young people who have decided they will carry on with their lives, go out at night to be with their friends. >

>* Saddam Hussein's support for the suicide bombers and their families

>* The people of the town of Bat Hefer, who live behind 12-foot concrete walls to stay safe from their Palestinian neighbors

> >* Protests in the U.S. in support of Israel >

>* The security guards in Israel who put their lives on the line to stop suicide bombers from blowing up shops and restaurants >

>* The personal story of a victim of the Netanya bombing who donated his kidney to a Palestinian woman from East Jerusalem who had waited two years for a transplant, the donor a man of peace, his son saying his father would have been happy to know a life had been saved >

>* A personal story from this week's Haifa suicide attack : At 18, Noa Shlomo was the youngest of three daughters. Noa and a close friend Keren Franco were on their way to work as border guards at Allenby bridge, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in their bus, killing them and six others. >

>* Israeli reaction to international criticism, marches and emergent anti-Semitism.

>

>And we aired a profile of the Israeli families who live near the front lines and welcome the soldiers, as well as a profile of the fear that the people of Israel live in day in and day out. These are just some of the stories we have aired in the last WEEK.

>

>And of course, we reported extensively both Tuesday and Wednesday on the ambush and killing of the IDF soldiers in Jenin and again with Breaking News and follow up on the Hamas suicide bomber who murdered eight innocent Israeli civilians in Haifa. >

>We are committed to accurate and balanced reporting. We aren't perfect. We take constructive criticism seriously. And we want to answer your questions about our coverage. >

>Rula Amin's live report from the town of Rummaneh outside Jenin was based on interviews she did with many of those who had just returned from Jenin. Her report was about those many first person accounts, accounts Ms. Amin said could not yet be independently verified. Her report was similar to other reports filed by news organizations today who also had reporters there yesterday. >

>One of those is the account by New York Times' Joel Greenberg (listed below -- please read it) who filed from the same town of Rummaneh from which Rula Amin aired her live report. In fact, you will notice that Mr. Greenberg provides details of the claims of the Palestinians about the Israeli Defense Force that go way beyond what Rula Amin did in her account. This report is just one of many in the New York Times today regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians -- just as Rula Amin's report is just one four minute account within a whole CNN reporting day. Nonetheless, every one of the New York Times articles must be accurate. So should CNN's. But it is so irresponsible to characterize CNN's thorough and wide-ranging reporting on this story based on how someone views any one report. > > >

>Rula Amin's live report did not include the IDF response as to why the IDF needed to conduct the Jenin offensive in the way it did. As you can see, Mr. Greenberg included Israel Defense Force statements describing why actions by the IDF troops were necessary. His filing deadline was later than Rula's live report. CNN included those same IDF comments later on CNNI when we got them from the IDF. >

>Some of you criticized an answer Rula Amin gave to a question by the news anchor: "In this latest clash in the refugee camp some 13 Israeli soldiers have been killed. What are you hearing about that particular clash. Does it appear that it was a well orchestrated ambush on the Israeli soldiers?" Rula Amin's response was based on what she was hearing in the town of Rummaneh, outside of Jenin. She attributed her answer to those that she talked with in Rummaneh. In hindsight, since Rula Amin was not in Jenin and didn't speak with anyone with first hand knowledge of the event, it would have been better that she answered that she was not in a position to get reliable information regarding the ambush. But during the live question and answer, she answered the anchor's question specific question -- "what was she hearing?" Later, appropriately, she said that the fighting there continued on between both sides in a vigorous way -- something she knew because she could hear it. >

>We have provided this response to you because we wanted you to know that CNN is committed to providing the most comprehensive and immediate and balanced reporting on this conflict. We hope this explanation answers some of your questions about CNN. Please forward this on to others who might have been on an email list of your friends or family. Thank you.