Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Media Examines Terror Tapes

Aired August 20, 2002 - 12:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Not surprisingly, the al Qaeda tapes have caused a buzz in media circles, and joining us to talk more about that is "Washington Post" media writer and host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," Howard Kurtz -- hi, Howard.
HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Hi, Carol.

LIN: Big story?

KURTZ: It is being played as a pretty big story in much of the press. It was on the front page of the "New York Times" yesterday, led the NBC "Nightly News" last night, CBS "Evening News" as well, though CBS apparently got its own copy of some of these tapes. "Washington Post" did not have a story on it, but by and large, the graphic video has caught a lot of attention, and is getting a lot of publicity in different parts of the media universe.

LIN: Do you think that this is -- it adds to the information out there about Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda?

KURTZ: I think the tapes obtained by CNN range from the merely interesting, such as the footage we have just seen of Osama bin Laden riding around, to rather news worthy, although I do think that CNN has gone a little bit overboard in hyping these tapes. I must have seen that dog die 15 times yesterday, but at the same time -- and U.S. officials have said it is no surprise to them that al Qaeda has been working on chemical weapons capability, but still, to see actual experimentations, killing animals, has dramatized for a lot of people the nature of the enemy the United States is up against here.

LIN: I mean, I think, clearly, if these are tapes that have never been seen before of his organization, their thought process, specifically the sorts of chemical testing that they have conducted, that it is valuable information, and yet you are saying that the way our network is handling it is hype. How would you define that?

KURTZ: Well, what I am saying is every news organization, including all the ones that I have ever worked for, trump at their own exclusives, that is part of the journalistic game. You have got something that nobody else has. There is nothing wrong with telling the world about that. But obviously, it has been on CNN an awful lot. I think it is newsworthy, I think it is important, but it hasn't broken that much new ground.

But on the other hand, the power of television is the power to show images, and merely reading about the fact that al Qaeda, for example, was testing chemical weapons on animals would not carry the emotional punch that seeing the terrible things inflicted on these dogs has seen. So I think it is overall a coup for CNN to have had these videotapes, and at the same time, CNN is making sure the world knows about it.

LIN: And certainly there is value, also, in understanding the news gathering process. I mean, we learned a lot about Nic Robertson's journey, how he was contacted, how far he had to go, the risks taken, and also the initial skepticism about the tape, because you also have to wonder when you are receiving information like this, whether you are being used for some sort of propaganda purpose.

KURTZ: Any time that a story like this can help shed light on how reporters do their jobs and how these kinds of tapes come to light, I think that is a plus. On the other hand, it has been a little bit murky, a lot of reports have noted that CNN paid for these tapes, variously described as a modest amount, or a 5-figure sum. The network has declined to disclose who the payment was made to. Now, it is not unheard of for television networks to pay for video footage, but...

LIN: And it is not unheard of for newspapers such as the "Washington Post" to pay for exclusive photographs, for example.

KURTZ: That's correct, but when you don't disclose the figure, so it could be up to $99,000, I have no way of knowing, you don't disclose who is receiving the payment, is this a middleman, is it somebody who is involved in the videotapes, although CNN has made very clear that it is not anybody connected to al Qaeda. It just raises questions for viewers to try to figure out what is going on.

LIN: Well, what kind of questions? I mean, what needs to be weighed in this circumstance, because I think this is important because you are going to the credibility of the presentation, and how that information was gathered.

KURTZ: I would like to know more about how much money was paid, and if the sources can't be disclosed, I would at least like to know some characterization of the sources that received this money. We would like to know who is potentially profiting from making these tapes available to CNN. I don't think that this is a huge ethical question. It is just a missing piece of the puzzle, in terms of the way that this has unfolded on the air.

LIN: But you would agree that -- you know, I know something of the sum. It is a modest sum, it is pretty standard, it is pretty similar to what the "Washington Post" would pay for an exclusive, say, photograph, and it has been done before, and again, what are you saying also is that it is not unusual for networks to pay for information. It is a product, like anything else. It is not like paying for influence, say, you are simply paying for a piece of material.

KURTZ: Right, and it is not like paying for an interview, which I would have a great problem, but I think CNN could clear up any question by just revealing the modest sum. I don't think it is a huge ethical issue from what I know about it. LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Howard Kurtz. Always good to see you.

KURTZ: Thank you, Carol.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com