Comments on: CNN’s error of judgement

By: All It Took Was a Tweet | demo

All It Took Was a Tweet | demo — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:33:06 +0000

[...] allows – Glenn …Is Arab memory masculine?Foreign Policy: Twitter Firing Was A Mistake For CNNCNN's error of judgement " Quite AloneCharacter Questionnaire [...]

By: Matthew Teller

Matthew Teller — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:36:04 +0000

Nice line, Nasri!

Thanks for dropping by, Abeer. It’s a fair point, but the issue here is not simply one of disagreeing with a certain political standpoint: Fadlallah was outspokenly racist and violent (if approving of murder can be equated with violence). He also held other views, but Nasr should have known that to praise such a figure in public would expose her to controversy, at the very least.

I hold no candle for either Fadlallah or Nasr. It’s simply that CNN have made a mistake here. Nasr should have been disciplined, not fired.

By: Abeer

Abeer — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:06:49 +0000

Cant people still respect someone even if his views are different to theirs?
I think CNN failed there, people are not Good or Evil, they are much more complex than that, and if fadlala had views offends some people, yet we have to see the other side of him, he was a big force in his country and a lot of people respect him for that,

By: Nasri Atallah

Nasri Atallah — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:39:47 +0000

I guess what it boils down to here is that CNN has shareholders to answer to whereas the Beeb doesn’t. Quite sad really. But I don’t think CNN had much journalistic credibility to start with. It’s the E! of the news world.

By: Matthew Teller

Matthew Teller — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:20:42 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Hal.

I know some people see sinister enemies round every corner, influencing, controlling, meddling, sabotaging. Personally, I was never one for conspiracy theories. CNN rushed to judgement.

Their loss.

By: Hal

Hal — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:27:13 +0000

What her firing demonstrates, I would suggest, is the long arm of the Israel Lobby in the US media. You don’t fly in the face of the Lobby and last for long.

By: CNN Middle East editor sacked over Twitter row | Syria News Wire

CNN Middle East editor sacked over Twitter row | Syria News Wire — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:06:36 +0000

[...] York, Matthew Teller and Brian Whitaker have posted interesting commentaries. Send this story [...]

By: Matthew Teller

Matthew Teller — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:49:06 +0000

Uh, thanks Neo… I think… ;-)

By: Neo

Neo — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:02:43 +0000

Brilliant….Absolutely Brilliant Piece!!!!
Octavia, you Deserve Nothing but the Best, and Goodluck for your Future Endeavours, and Thank you for Putting the Middle East and Lebanon on the map…at least…doing your best to…….
As for CNN….Shame On You…..Shame…..
actually it reminds of your old Slogan… “This is CNN…we MAKE News”
anyways…bottom line is..this is the true testament as to why the British have ALWAYS had a Dominating Advantage over the Americans…in almost EVERYTHING…
Yes it’s true you people made Burgers and Blue Jeans possible…THANK YOU VERY MUCH…..You Saved the Day….Yet again!….but then again we won’t throw away our food and clothing just for that…..maaaaaaaaaaaan i frankly ran out of metaphors to describe how your ideologies are nothing but utter ***** anyways..this’ll do ^^ bye now

By: Twitted by sanatawileh

Twitted by sanatawileh — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:25:18 +0000

[...] This post was Twitted by sanatawileh [...]

By: Matthew Teller

Matthew Teller — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:42:40 +0000

Many thanks, Eddie – much appreciated.

Thank you, Neha, for dropping by. Let me clarify: I don’t think Nasr’s tweet was “unbiased”, as you say. It was partial, and she should not have posted it. However, I think it was nonetheless a (flawed) expression of valid journalistic attributes – perspective, understanding and humanity. For that reason, she should still be at her post.

By: Neha

Neha — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:36:27 +0000

Very Insightful. Today, I believe, that we have no room for unbiased opinions, despite our loud flags of liberty waving high and proud. Ms Nasr’s tweet is a bold example of her unbiased opinions. To shed a tear for someone despite who the person may have been, is being unbiased beyond a doubt.

The channel has erred by proving, by firing her, their absolute intolerance of thoughts opposing that of theirs.

While this may not bring down their TRP, it still speaks a lot on their principles and practices.

By: Tweets that mention CNN’s error of judgement « Quite Alone -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention CNN’s error of judgement « Quite Alone -- Topsy.com — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:31:50 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by David George-Cosh, Kayt Sukel and others. Kayt Sukel said: RT @matthewteller: Why #cnn was wrong to fire @octavianasrCNN http://is.gd/djKJQ #journalism [...]

By: Eddie Taylor

Eddie Taylor — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:17:26 +0000

Excellent piece, Matthew. It’s incredible that a journalist can now be accused of bias by expressing sadness at the passing of another human being – not least one she had met and who, by all accounts, treated her with respect, courtesy and decency.

Whatever his views, and however unpalatable some of them may have been, he was indeed a “giant” of his country’s political scene, and to suggest that sorrow at his death is some kind of ringing endorsement of each of his policies reflects more on the forces at play in the American media than on the integrity of Ms Nasr.

I recall a string of talking heads in the US paying tribute to Jerry Falwell when he died, and this was a man who, within 48 hours of 9/11 found a way to blame it on feminists, the gay community and those attempting to protect civil liberties.

What is also lost amid the fog of outrage is that Ms Nasr is a Christian, and hardly someone who would be a willing mouthpiece for the views of Hezbollah.

It’s a regrettable episode, but also a very instructive one.