[NYTr] CBS Refuses to Broadcast Iraq Footage
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MediaChannel via Alternet -Jan 26, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/47269/
CBS Refuses to Broadcast Iraq Footage
CBS's Chief Foreign Correspondent notified peers that the network won't
broadcast her grisly Baghdad story "that is largely being ignored."
By Rory O'Connor and David Olson
MediaChannel.org.
Sometimes it's hard to swim in the mainstream.
There has been much heated debate over the past few years over media
coverage of the Iraq War. The Bush administration has repeatedly
attacked the 'liberal bias' of the mainstream news industry, claiming
that it doesn't report enough of the "good news" from Iraq, and focuses
instead on the sensational and violent.
Those critical of the war and the occupation say just the opposite;
that the mainstream news media has ignored much of the "bad news"
coming out of Iraq, leaving Americans with an impression of the war
based more on a desire to follow the official White House narrative
than facts on the ground. MediaChannel has long been in the latter
camp, sponsoring (for example) last year's "Show Us the War" project,
which published video pieces showing an Iraq overrun with violence and
chaos -- and an administration that seemed more intent on faith and
"spin" than reality. We at MediaChannel believe that an informed
citizenry is necessary to keep our democracy viable, and we have been
strong advocates of the call for all news outlets -- mainstream or
independent -- to produce and distribute accurate stories on the
situation in Iraq.
Which brings us to Lara Logan.
One would assume that Ms. Logan, as CBS chief foreign correspondent,
has a fair amount of influence as to what stories she gets to cover,
and that most of her important stories, once produced and delivered,
will be broadcast. But when the story comes out of the mean streets of
Baghdad, and doesn't fit the officially-sanctioned narrative of Iraqis
and US soldiers working arm in arm to help protect thankful Iraqi
citizens, even chief foreign correspondents sometimes need to ask for
help in getting it seen. Imagine our surprise recently when -- over the
digital transom -- we received a copy of an email from a frustrated
Lara Logan (see below)
In it, Logan asks for help in getting attention to what she calls "a
story that is largely being ignored even though this istakingplace
everysingle [sic] day in Baghdad, two blocks from where our office is
located."
The segment in question -- "Battle for Haifa Street" -- is a piece of
first-rate journalism but one that only appears on the CBS News website
-- and has never been broadcast. It is a gritty, realistic look at life
on the very mean streets of Baghdad, and includes interviews with
civilians who complain that the US military presence is only making
their lives worse and the situation more deadly.
"They told us they would bring democracy, they promised life would be
better than it was under Saddam," one told Logan. "But they brought us
nothing but death and killing. They brought mass destruction to
Baghdad."
Several bodies are shown in the two-minute segment, "some with obvious
signs of torture," as Logan points out. She also notes that her crew
had to flee for their lives when they we were warned of an impending
attack. While fleeing, another civilian was killed before their eyes.
Logan's email, with the one-word subject line of "help," was sent to
friends and colleagues imploring them to lobby CBS to highlight that
people are interested in seeing the piece. In it, Logan argues that the
story is "not too gruesome to air, but rather too important to ignore...
It should be seen. And people should know about this."
We agree. And we'd like to help Ms. Logan and CBS get the piece seen,
although that task would be made immeasurably easier if CBS News chief
Sean McManus simply made the decision to broadcast it.
Ms. Logan, who is embedded with US forces in Iraq, was unavailable for
comment. But CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius told us that the
segment in question was not broadcast but only run on the web because
"the Executive Producer of the Evening News thought some of the images
in it were a bit strong -- plus on that day the program was already
packed with other Iraq news."
Regarding Logan's unusual email plea for "help" from friends and
colleagues, Genelius said she and other CBS executives were unaware of
its existence until contacted by MediaChannel. About Logan's contention
that the segment is "not too gruesome to air, but rather too important
to ignore," Genelius said "There are discussions and even disagreements
everyday about what goes on air," and noted that "One of the
characteristics that makes Lara so special is her passion for her job.
Of course she wants her pieces to be broadcast!"
In conclusion, Genelius added that "CBS News has aired countless hours
of coverage about Iraq. It is the single most important part of our
news coverage, and I hope that people will look at the sum total of
what we have put on the air."
On an average night, eight million people watch the broadcast version
of the CBS Evening News. CBS company policy prohibits the disclosure of
"internal analytics," so no figures are available for the number of
viewers Logan's web-only segment has had -- but it is undoubtedly far
less.
See for yourself what the controversy is all about. You can watch the
video here (RealPlayer required):
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2371456n
And don't forget to let CBS know what you think about this outstanding
example of video journalism and help Lara Logan by telling CBS what you
think about them keeping those images of the battle for Haifa Street --
no matter how strong, no matter how gruesome -- far from the eyes of
their prime-time audience.
TEXT OF THE EMAIL FROM LARA LOGAN:
| From: lara logan
| Subject: help
The story below only appeared on our CBS website and was not aired on
CBS. It is a story that is largely being ignored, even though this
istakingplace verysingle day in central Baghdad, two blocks from where
our office is located.
Our crew had to be pulled out because we got a call saying they were
about to be killed, and on their way out, a civilian man was shot dead
in front of them as they ran.
I would be very grateful if any of you have a chance to watch this
story and pass the link on to as many people you know as possible. It
should be seen. And people should know about this.
If anyone has time to send a comment to CBS - about the story - not
about my request, then that would help highlight that people are
interested and this is not too gruesome to air, but rather too
important to ignore.
Many, many thanks.
Update: Since we posted this piece, MediaChannel has created a little
echo chamber of our own. Many blogers [sic] excerpted the piece as if Lara
had written them personally. In response to the comment below from
"charles," who said he saw the piece on CBS News last night, we
contacted CBS and were told on Thursday evening:
that is not correct. this particular piece has not run on the cbs
evening news. but there have been many pieces by lara on haifa street
(and other areas of baghdad and iraq, of course), so it's possible
someone could be confused.
[Filmmaker and journalist Rory O'Connor writes the Media Is A Plural
blog.]
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