Opinion: Where’s the outrage?
This morning I posted a link to Radar Online’s article on Anderson Cooper’s past with the CIA. I did so because I expected this to blow up all over the internet about how Radar endangered Cooper’s ability to cover overseas stories by revealing past ties to the CIA. Radar essentially put a target on Cooper for any aspiring terrorist. For the rest of his career in this business Cooper will have to have extra security and be extra careful when traveling abroad to cover a story. Steve Centanni could have been killed because they thought he was CIA, even though that wasn’t true. Cooper has a CIA past, however fleeting it may be.
But the outrage never came. Nothing on Romenesko. Nothing on CJR Daily. Nothing on TVNewser. A whole lot of nothing. Totally mystifying…
You’re right, Spud. Why aren’t others condemning this? Granted, terrorists need little motivation to kidnap someone, but this would seem to just add fuel to the already blazing fire of hatred.
Any ideas as to why it seems to fly under the radar (no pun intended)? What would constitute a good reason for publishing this? I certainly don’t see any.
Comment by Caroline — September 6, 2006 @ 11:29 pm
Fans in the AnderWorld have been in a tizzy all day. Check out the comments on some of those blogs.
In all reality, Cooper and any other journalist are already targets by terrorists. Why should he be more special than anyone else. He was an intern big deal.
Comment by Connie Thompson — September 6, 2006 @ 11:55 pm
Maybe it is better that the outrage never came and the Radar blog will go mostly un-noticed. What was the Radar blogger thinking? Oh, I know, “It” wasn’t thinking. Anderson reports from some very dangerous places and I just pray for his safety after that monumentally stupid revelation.
Comment by Judy Stage — September 6, 2006 @ 11:58 pm
The gossip rags are on it - Fishbowl NY, Eat the Press, etc. Jossip (another gossip rag) had the best headline: Radar Puts Anderson Cooper’s Life at Risk
And where’s Cooper now? Afghanistan. He blogged it, btw - took the perfect tone, if you asked me. “Oh, yeah, in case you’re interested, after I graduated college, I briefly worked as a waiter, but I decided not to make a career out of that job either.”
Comment by Arthur — September 7, 2006 @ 12:18 am
Why would anyone think TVNewser would post something that takes a firm stand against terrorism? He has been heavily promoting the Al-Jazeera International network and didn’t say a word about cable systems not wanting to pick the anti-American up until just recently, when it was included in an article he posted.
If the outrage would draw attention to CNN, that’s even less of a reason for Brian Stelter to post anything about it. All you can depend on that site for is to pump up anything MSNBC is doing and take shots at anything that’s not embraced by leftists.
Good job bringing attention to this, Spud.
Comment by Aaron — September 7, 2006 @ 12:22 am
WRT why no outrage, the media-media (as opposed to the media-gossips) may actually be playing a responsible role and trying to prevent the spread of the meme, although once Gawker’s got it (and they do), forget it.
Then again, they may not be exhibiting outrage because they feel none. Cooper’s star rose awfully far awfully fast, and that’s got to make some enemies. FWIW, it looks like TVNewser can’t think of another thing but Katie, Katie, Katie…
Comment by Arthur — September 7, 2006 @ 12:31 am
It is interesting that this story is kind of laying low. Maybe nobody cares about him anymore?
OT - If terrorist got wind of this and temporarily kidnapped Cooper, would he interview himself?
Comment by Charles — September 7, 2006 @ 12:55 am
Thanks for saying this. I was wondering why no one else had brought up your very valid points. There are plenty of things that people can find to pick on Anderson Cooper but this is very irresponsible.
Comment by Sam — September 7, 2006 @ 1:40 am
TVNewser. Nothing.
Since 2:30pm. Apparantely all that Couric watching required a long nap.
Comment by WestCoastBlogger — September 7, 2006 @ 2:36 am
Not related to this story but I didn’t know where to post this and seeing as people are talking about that newser guy I just want to chime in on something. Good job on Spud’s part not to overdue the Katie CBS debut. I don’t even think he posted one story about it but that newser guy is totally overdoing it and it’s making sick. Pages and pages of that crap. One damn story is ENOUGH! This is like the equivalent of a cable channel overdoing the Karr case. So next time he should STFU about stations overdoing a story.
Comment by Lurker — September 7, 2006 @ 7:00 am
In the grand scheme of things, this revelation ought not to matter. Geez, he never worked for the CIA; in fact, he shied away from it. And enemies are supposed to hold him as a hot target? Guys, stop that adrenalime from pumping. He will as safe as Cindy Sheehan wherever he goes.
Comment by RGL — September 7, 2006 @ 7:03 am
Lurker, ICN covers CABLE news not NETWORK news. And Couric would be considered NETWORK news.
Comment by Terance — September 7, 2006 @ 7:22 am
I would HOPE this revelation would not affect him in any way. That doesn’t make me right.
But boy, it looks as if this has become yet another excuse to castigate Brian Stelter, eh? As if you guys needed more…
Comment by tanne — September 7, 2006 @ 7:31 am
Well duh! I was wondering why Spud didn’t even mention one word about Katie because it’s Inside Cable News. lol. Back to newser guy, Shove more Katie down our throats, won’t you?
Comment by Lurker — September 7, 2006 @ 8:29 am
I’m a little surprised too, but maybe for once the media is deciding to do the responsible thing and not give this any more publicity than it’s already been given.
Oh tanne/Keith, your poor buddy Brian… I’m sure he can take the criticism. It *IS* a little strange that he hasn’t posted a single thing since 2:36 yesterday though… I guess the “Countdown to Katie” wore him out.
Comment by OverHere — September 7, 2006 @ 8:59 am
Guys, it doesn’t matter what we think or which additional media write about this fiasco. The “cat’s out of the bag”, so to speak, and whether there’s a connection or not, Anderson’s link with the CIA is established in the minds of the terrorists.
It was an incredibly irresponsible act on the part of this Radar character.
Comment by Missy — September 7, 2006 @ 9:35 am
“It *IS* a little strange that he hasn’t posted a single thing since 2:36 yesterday though…”
Well, in all fairness, blogging isn’t his fulltime job. Maybe he had an important seminar to attend, that turned into a Fluid Mechanics workshop (what we always called our drinking marathons back in my grad school days.)
Comment by Arthur — September 7, 2006 @ 12:48 pm
Brian Stelter is back from hiding, he just posted another positive story for MSNBC along with another positive purported ‘e-mailer’ comment.
“It’s really great coverage,” one e-mailer said. “MSNBC needs to do Battleground America with Russert and Williams as often as possible,” another added…
Here’s some of TVNewser’s other best ‘e-mail’ suck-ups to MSNBC in the past few weeks:
On low-rated MSNBC being dropped from XM Radio:
“This is kind of disappointing,” an e-mailer says. “It was nice to have CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and Headline News all available.”
On MSNBC’s new graphics:
“The new MSNBC graphics look great,” one e-mailer says.
And my absolute favorite:
“So few news people today ask the hard questions let alone speak truth to power,” an e-mailer says. “Olbermann stood up for free speech and all American citizens…”
Comment by Alfonso — September 7, 2006 @ 1:13 pm
Alot of jealous peeps up in here. Not happy with TVN, start your own blog. Oh that’s right we have ICN. The voice of FNC PR.
Comment by Stud — September 7, 2006 @ 1:54 pm
Stud, after posting here for maybe a year or so, I truly doubt that Spud is a mouthpiece for the Bush administration or for Fox News. But I do appreciate the fact that he allows the views of conservatives to be posted, with impunity.
I also know that Spud doesn’t like complements of any sort, so he’ll probably chastise me for thanking him in this way!
Comment by Missy — September 7, 2006 @ 4:00 pm
Come on Stelter, are you too scared to face the fire? Or maybe you just know your pro-MSNBC/anti-everything else behavior has been indefensible?
Comment by Alfonso — September 7, 2006 @ 4:02 pm