CNN Response To Clarissa Ward Segment
How even news networks use anonymity to shield themselves
On December 15th, I reached out to, “The Lead With Jake Tapper,” regarding a story I was preparing to publish.
This is their full response:
“I have a statement here, but first, on background, I want to give you some context on this report and the events around it:
A CNN team visited a prison building at the Syrian air force intelligence headquarters in Damascus while searching for the missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice. This visit was unannounced, no one at the facility knew the CNN team was coming.
The team entered the facility followed by a guard, a Syrian rebel. While inside, as is clear from our reporting, they noticed that one cell was locked from the outside and asked the guard if there was someone inside. The guard said he did not know and subsequently shot the lock off the door and entered the cell, followed by the team from CNN.
As is clear in the report, a man was inside, hiding under a blanket and in a state of distress. The man asked for water, which the CNN team gave him. The guard told the team to leave the prison and called for an ambulance. As is clearly laid out in our report, the man told CNN that his name was Adel Ghurbal and that he was from Homs. He said he had been arrested three months ago and spent time in three different jails. He also said he was interrogated repeatedly about phone contacts of his.
The Red Crescent arrived shortly afterwards and took the man away, posting later on social media that he had been dropped off at a relative’s house.
On the record, you can use the following statement - please attribute to a CNN spokesperson:
“No one other than the CNN team was aware of our plans to visit the prison building featured in our report that day. The events transpired as they appear in our film. The decision to release the prisoner featured in our report was taken by the guard - a Syrian rebel. We reported the scene as it unfolded, including what the prisoner told us, with clear attribution. We have subsequently been investigating his background and are aware that he may have given a false identity. We are continuing our reporting into this and the wider story.”
I never agreed to any of these terms, especially attributing any statement to a faceless “CNN spokesperson.” Because the statement did not address my questions, I independently made the choice to do so here.
The reason I’m publishing it, however, is to give you a window into the secrecy that pervades even the news business.
If CNN can’t stand behind their own statement, what does that say about their actual reporting?
Read the story here: