CNN executive on visit to Israel issues new policy on airing terrorist tapes

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Posted 8:50PM on Friday, June 21, 2002

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - CNN's chief news executive arrived in Israel on a peace mission of sorts Friday after issuing a memo urging his networks to resist airing statements from suicide bombers and their families. Eason Jordan, CNN's president of newsgathering, visited the sites of the last two terrorist bombings shortly after touching down in Israel. He also planned to meet with academic leaders, Israeli journalists, terror victims, Palestinians and government officials. CNN's coverage of the Middle East conflict has angered some Israelis, a situation exacerbated this week by comments made by CNN founder Ted Turner. The situation has seemingly provided an opening for CNN's chief U.S. competitor, Fox News Channel. Jordan said legitimate concerns were raised about a handful of instances in which the CNN International network juxtaposed comments from victims of suicide bombings with people who applauded the acts. ``It's cold-hearted and there is no moral equivalence there,'' Jordan said. ``We want to do everything we can to allow the victims to be showcased and the perpetrators of the horror not to be as showcased. ``There's a difference between fair and balanced when it comes to terrorism,'' he said. ``Certainly, all sides should be heard, but we're not giving as much time to terrorists and their supporters as we do to victims of terrorism.'' Jordan's memo said CNN should not televise statements by suicide bombers or their families without ``an extraordinarily compelling reason to do so.'' Network executives compared the policy to CNN's practice after the release of the last few Osama bin Laden tapes. TV networks rushed to televise the first bin Laden tape but then prodded by the Bush administration have declared subsequent ones propaganda and deemphasized or ignored them. Earlier this week, Turner was quoted equating terrorist bombings and Israel's military response. ``I would make the case that both sides are engaged in terrorism,'' he said in an interview with The Guardian, a British newspaper. He later apologized, saying in an interview with Israel's largest newspaper, Yediot Ahronot, that suicide bombings are inexcusable. CNN distanced itself from Turner's comments and pointed out that Turner no longer has an editorial role at the company. But the damage was done. ``Certainly, his comments aggravated matters,'' Jordan said. Jordan said he and other CNN employees have received angry e-mails accusing the network of bias in its coverage. ``Any suggestion that CNN is anti-Israel is absolutely ridiculous and baseless,'' he said. Some Palestinian groups also have complained that CNN's coverage favors Israel. There were published reports of calls by some Israeli citizens to take CNN off the air there. CNN International, which has different content than CNN's networks in the United States, is aired in Israel on three cable companies that reach 1.1 million viewers and on the YES satellite company, which has 310,000 subscribers. A CNN spokeswoman said the network has been assured it will continue to be aired in Israel. But YES this week also began airing Fox News Channel, surprising that network's own executives, who had applied to have Fox shown there and believed a decision was months away. Doug Murphy, Fox's vice president of international distribution, said he expects to be added to the three cable systems soon, too. ``I think that we present the news in a way that they appreciate more,'' Murphy said. ``We show both sides, instead of one viewpoint alone.'' Asked if he was referring to CNN, Murphy said, ``no comment.'' Supporters of Israel in the United States have launched protests against media outlets they consider biased. One on-line petition circulating in New York calls on Cablevision systems to air Fox News Channel in all markets because it is ``the only news network that is reporting the Israeli perspective fairly and accurately.''