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From: herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (daniel lance herrick)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: CNN From Baghdad
Message-ID: <16329@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 22 Jan 91 18:14:18 GMT
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In article <16221@accuvax.nwu.edu>, lairdb@crash.cts.com (Laird P.
Broadfield) writes:

> In re. all this CNN stuff, I had an interesting series of thoughts the
> other night; given the tiny size of home-quality video equipment these

[discussion of miniaturization possibilities]

> If somebody wants to prevent information-flow, there going to have to
> take away anything larger than a paperback book from *every* reporter
> present.

Yes, it is possible to smuggle information out.  Let the record
acknowledge that that is not the way CNN did it in Baghdad.  They were
persistent in asking for permission (I think he said "three calls per
day"), they were scrupulous in their treatment of the story - not
bashing their host.  Then, when the big story broke, they avoided
attracting attention (this is funny, in the light of the whole
context, but it took climbing five flights of stairs and searching the
wing to find them and they avoided it a few times).  Eventually they
sounded too much like forward bomb spotters and the government sent
someone to silence them.

The messenger said "Stop, now", apologetically, and the senior CNN
official on the scene said "Yes, SIR".

Some of what CNN did that night was accomplished because they were
overlooked during the excitement, but it was possible because of hard
negotiations in advance and scrupulous care to report the story, not
broadcast editorials.

I'm reminded of Jesus' parable of the five wise virgins and the five
foolish virgins.


Dan Herrick    herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com