Former "Hotline" editor and "Hardball" producer Howard Mortman asks some provocative questions about CNN's Middle East coverage over at his blog, "Extreme Mortman":
CNN reporters and anchors are having a tough time understanding why the Israeli military might want TV to show some discretion during time of war. They seem, well, bothered and annoyed....
PAULA HANCOCKS: So, what the Israelis are doing as well is making sure they have a censorship, that we can’t show live pictures to be able to show exactly where these rockets are hitting. Because the military, undeniably, is very worried that Hezbollah will be able to target a particular area, see where it lands, and then be able to home in. …
MILES O’BRIEN: So, just to be clear with our viewers, then, we’re not showing live pictures of these strikes because — out of fear that those same pictures would be viewed in southern Lebanon and could be used by Hezbollah?
PAULA HANCOCKS: That’s right. It’s a censorship issue. They don’t want the live pictures to be shown of rockets incoming and then landing in a particular area of Haifa, because then whoever is firing these rockets will know exactly if they direct their rocket launcher in that particular area where it will hit....
Which then gives rise to a great reader comment:
Reminds me of the ["Saturday Night Live"] skit during the Gulf War where the Pentagon briefer took questions from the press which got more and more detailed on the specific movements and plans of the U.S. military until the last reporter (identifying themselves as from the “Baghdad Post” )asked the briefer something akin to the following:
1) how many troops do you plan to send into Kuwait?
2) where will they enter the country, and
3) when will you start the invasion?
