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CNN reporting from Afghanistan or are they?

Undercurrents | 19.09.2001 11:16

CNN- our man in afghanistan..or is he?

Roddy and Paul from Undercurrents met this CNN journo (in article below) in the Edingburgh Tv festival last month. He was using his new videophone to fool all the journos in the audience that he was actually transmitting from a tower in Edinburgh.

While everyone was watching a "live" broadcast, Roddy discovered him having a coffee in the bar outside the conference centre. So much for truthful reporting.

I wonder how true he is being in Afghanistan.

 http://media.guardian.co.uk/attack/story/0,1301,554077,00.html

Fears grow for CNN man

Jessica Hodgson
Wednesday September 19, 2001

Fears are growing for the safety of Nic Robertson, the CNN correspondent who is the last western journalist behind Taliban-controlled lines in Afghanistan.

Eason Jordan, CNN's chief executive of news and newsgathering president, told MediaGuardian.co.uk that Robertson, who relayed the Taliban's extraordinary press conference last week by videophone, has received several death threats.

"I think Nic may well be expelled," said Jordan from CNN's Atlanta base. "Which would make things a little easier for us.

"As recently as last Friday, the Taliban were saying he might be dismembered if he stayed behind."

Last night Robertson was still filing stories via videophone from Kandahar in the north of the country .

Jordan said the safety of his correspondents under Taliban-held areas and in other areas of the world was of "prime concern".

"We're evaluating the situation minute by minute, but it looks like Nic and his cameraman might have to leave," he said.

The Taliban's spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, has warned westerners that their safety in the country can no longer be guaranteed.

CNN has some eight journalists in the region but most are in rebel-held territory, including Steve Harrigan, who was also filing from videophone last night.

A number of journalists are in Afghanistan for other news broadcasters and the situation for western journalists has become increasingly threatening, as the likelihood of US strikes increases.

The Taliban are engaged in talks with a Pakistani delegation, who have advised them to hand over the prime suspect of last week's attacks on the World Trade Centre, Osama Bin Laden.

Thousands of Afghans are now reported to be trying to cross the closed borders with Pakistan, fearing reprisals from the US.

Undercurrents
- e-mail: underc@gn.apc.org
- Homepage: http://media.guardian.co.uk/attack/story/0,1301,554077,00.html

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Grow up

19.09.2001 15:31

Despite all the serious events that are taking place at the moment, there are still some who think that their main objective is to score petty political points.

Paul Edwards


Serious events need truthful journos

20.09.2001 14:03

I think this is a serious point undercurrents made..if journos are not telling the truth to their own..what is stopping them bending the truth a little for viewers? Look at all the untruths in the last few years...false documentaries about drug smuggling, interviewees not actually who they claim to be,one on GM etc not being true. While some of the documentaries have been found out..what about the ones what havent been found and are accepted as true as they get referred to.

Well done undercurrents for telling us this! Keep up the great work

joe mcIntyre