Austin Bay Blog

I’m glad Eason Jordan is staying on the Jamil Hussein story — or non-story. Note early on (November 28) I advocated a National News Council type investigation of the AP’s “six burning Sunnis” report. I made the case in my Creators Syndicate newspaper column, and yes, the column drew flak from the newspaper world because I questioned the AP. (What I did was suggest that legitimate questions were being asked about the AP’s story, that the story was important in the context of an on-going war, and that a “self investigation” by the AP wouldn’t convince many readers.)

However, I was struck by this line in Jordan’s latest report:

Having learned from my own successes and failures and those of others, I know that a journalistic scandal can be handled effectively only when the news organization’s management deals with it proactively, constructively, and transparently, with a readiness to admit any mistake, to apologize for it, and to take appropriate corrective action.

Will Jordan now agree to release the tape of his statement at Davos? He accused the US military of “targeting” journalists. That statement, in my opinion, was a slander. He ended up resigning from CNN rather than providing a copy of the tape and taking the heat for his opinion. (He certainly produced no evidence to back up his scurrilous assertion.) 

Mr. Jordan, thank you for encouraging thorough investigation and disclosure.  I recognize there is a difference between your situation and the AP’s. You were stating an opinion — but it was an opinion expressed in an international forum in war time that alleged war crimes.  Then, when challenged, you disappeared. Please show us the Davos tape. And if you have no evidence of journalists being “targeted” by the US military, then retract the statement.

Marc Danziger’s coverage of the Jamil Husein story has been excellent. Marc’s has thoughts on Jordan and Jamil.

UPDATE: Jules Crittenden adds to the discussion. He recalls Jordan’s slander.