Octavia Nasr out at CNN…
Mediaite’s Steve Krakauer reports that Octavia Nasr is leaving CNN as a result of her tweet controversy regarding Hezbollah’s spiritual leader. I don’t know. Maybe she had to go.
Mediaite’s Steve Krakauer reports that Octavia Nasr is leaving CNN as a result of her tweet controversy regarding Hezbollah’s spiritual leader. I don’t know. Maybe she had to go.
July 7, 2010 at 1:28 pm
heh– “ohhh the times they are a changing”–
July 7, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Yeah, toon. The dominoes are falling.. What?
July 7, 2010 at 1:52 pm
That was relatively fast. Chalk one up for social networking
July 7, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Yes, Spud, she had to go. Given her position with their Middle East coverage, there is no way any viewers (other than the Israel haters) could ever trust a word of their ME coverage if she had stayed on in her job.
July 7, 2010 at 2:25 pm
A 20-year CNN veteran who was a senior editor is fired over this?
Yes, it was a troubling tweet (I still can’t get used to that word; I always think of Tweety Bird). But sufficient by itself for dismissal? Suspension? Yes. But fired?
There has to be something more to this than that remark. E.g., some previous story or stories that she produced or reported or some relationship with Hezbollah that called into question her objectivity and professionalism.
Has to be.
July 7, 2010 at 2:41 pm
stevemg Says:
July 7, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Maybe it’s the Helen Thomas effect?
July 7, 2010 at 2:49 pm
steveo– we’re still in a war on two fronts and CNN has taken enough heat for being liberal– what else could happen when one of their “journalists” decides to take sides and picks the wrong one?–
July 7, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Steve, I think the tweet was damaging enough to require dismissal. It’s one thing to privately favor one side or the other in the Middle East conflict; quite another to feel strongly enough about it to announce it to the world in clear conflict of journalistic objectivity. BW is (gulp) right, only pro-Palistinians would trust CNN’s coverage after this.
July 7, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Steve, I think the tweet was damaging enough to require dismissal
Dunno, fired for some off-the-cuff quick response after 20 years of work is a bit harsh, I think. Especially since she apologized.
I’d need more than just this to give her the heave after two decades of work. One or two years? Five? Ten? Okay. But 20?
Believe me, I find Hezbollah just reprehensible. Their views on Jews is frightening and disgusting. I imagine they’re blaming “The Jews” for her firing, no?
July 7, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Their views on Jews is frightening and disgusting.
Dude, I’m no Israel apologist, but that sentence itself should answer your question. And her apology still managed to reframe her comment in a positive light towards the Hezbollah leader. “Sure, he wants a civilisation that was already decimated once to vanish from the face of the earth, but golly he’s good to the ladies.” Not. Helpful.
July 7, 2010 at 3:39 pm
ok, i’ll bite– i’m an apologist for Israel– they tried to defend themselves and their area of control, just like any country would do, and the whole world has tried to slap them down– the Turks can moan all they want but they shouldn’t have done what they did in the first place and the Izzies shouldn’t have gone in with so little Intel– how come many Muslim countries who claim Arab solidarity do so little for the Pals?– i’m just sayin’–
July 7, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Dunno, fired for some off-the-cuff quick response after 20 years of work is a bit harsh, I think. Especially since she apologized.
What apology? That was a rationalization. She made a point of NOT saying that both the dead guy and Hezbollah are terrorists, only that they’re designated as such.
That would have been repugnant enough if she were in charge of, say, business news. But she had a position of power in the network’s Middle East coverage, and was openly supporting terrorists.
As we said, good riddance to bad rubbish. She can go sit in the corner with Helen Thomas.
July 7, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Not a surprising move for CNN. She can be replaced easily and the story ends now. If it had been AC or JK maybe they tough it out. A decision based on cutting your losses not whether or not the firing was deserved.
July 8, 2010 at 4:47 am
how come everybody on this Board treats Anderson Cooper like he’s the cable news equivalent of LeBron James?– i really wanna know–
July 8, 2010 at 9:12 am
Define “everybody”. Who’s LeBron James?
AC is interesting as a story about how a journalist rode a Breaking News event to stardom. As for his daily work, he’s ok I guess, but I rarely watch his lousy ‘polygamy/Manson’ show. As for the unspoken question I know you’re dying to have answered: He’s probably g@y; nobody cares.
July 8, 2010 at 2:34 pm
what happened to my reply to joey?
July 8, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Don’t call me Joey. Or Shirley. You probably used the ‘g@y’ word and got stuck in moderation after Spud took off. Or maybe he thought you were Speedking..
July 8, 2010 at 2:54 pm
what should i call u?– LeBron?– jeez, u can’t even say g@y on this Board?– that’s pretty light-weight– free king shabbaz speedo!
July 8, 2010 at 2:57 pm
but it’s not my Board and i’m only a guest so i’ll follow the rules– oh, joe– are u back?– i just noticed–
July 8, 2010 at 3:05 pm
– are u back?–
Eh, not really..just avoiding this shyteload of paperwork that keeps piling up as soon as I finish it..
Who’s LeBron James?
July 8, 2010 at 5:24 pm
u seriously don’t know who LeBron James is?!– he’s about to become the highest paid professional sports figure the world has ever known– turn on a sports channel tonight and u’ll see– he’s about to announce which of 4 or 5 teams he’s going to play for– i’m not a Basketball fan but i’m suprised u haven’t heard of this guy–
July 8, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Psych! You must learn the ways of my nuance and subtlety, grasshopper. I’m as aware of the existence of this tall guy who throws a ball as I am of the Kardashians, i. e, way too much.
turn on a sports channel tonight
Why would I do that?
July 9, 2010 at 12:36 am
that’s right joe, i forgot u and steve were tweedledee nuance and tweedledum sublety (or was it scholarly)?– and don’t call me grasshopper– or shirley–