As for bad journalism: Critic, list thyself

Since David Shaw opted to include me in his list of worst examples of American journalism in 2003 (“Lowlights of Bad Press Deserve More Bad Press,” Dec. 21), I suggest he write an addendum adding himself to his list for twisting the facts and ignoring others in my case.

I said in my New York Times op-ed that I knew from my time in Iraq of a few instances of regime-perpetrated torture and violence that were not reported at the time by CNN because reporting on those specific cases would further jeopardize innocent Iraqi lives. How convenient for Shaw to ignore that truth and to instead write that CNN did not report such things “in part to preserve access,” which is a figment of his wishful imagination.

Had he cared to demonstrate any journalistic curiosity, he would have quickly learned that CNN reported many, many times on the Saddam Hussein regime’s torture and other human rights abuses. He would have learned that the Saddam regime expelled CNN journalists on at least a dozen occasions in retaliation for tough reporting the regime found offensive. He would have found the Saddam regime banned for life CNN’s Baghdad bureau chief for reporting on human rights violations. Perhaps he even would have found the transcript of me asking [former high-ranking Iraqi official] Tariq Aziz on camera to defend and explain the regime’s dreadful human rights record.

No news organization in the world had more journalists banned and expelled from Saddam’s Iraq. No news organization in the world had a more difficult, tumultuous time of it in Saddam’s Iraq.

Eason Jordan

Atlanta

Eason Jordan is executive vice president and chief news executive at CNN.