Peter Arnett Fired By NBC

KSigkid · #1 03-31-2003, 06:07 PM

Just heard this on the radio, so I'm a little sketchy on the details, however...

Peter Arnett, foreign correspondent for National Geographic Explorer who made much of his reputation as a field reporter in Desert Storm, was fired by NBC either today or yesterday. Seems that he gave an interview with Iraqi television, where he said that the United States effort has failed thus far because of strong Iraqi resistence. I assume there has to be a lot more to this story, but this is all I've heard so far.

I don't remember hearing about such a prominent reporter being fired in this way, this strikes me as a pretty big story. Anyone else heard anything about this?

Collin

mu_agd · #2 03-31-2003, 06:10 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/...ett/index.html

It looks like both NBC and National Geographic fired him for the interview he gave to Iraqi television.

KSigkid · #3 03-31-2003, 06:12 PM

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...v/war_us_media

This is a link to a wire story on Yahoo about the firing; apparently NBC was extremely upset about the interview, and was getting a ton of emails calling for Arnett's dismissal. I've also heard reports that the Pentagon pressured for the firing, but I think that may just be a rumor floating around.

Also in the story, it's mentioned about Geraldo Rivera possibly facing action for putting troops in danger by revealing a division's battle plans.

Crazy stuff...or maybe it's just the journalism/history double major coming out in me.

Collin

Kevin · #4 03-31-2003, 06:33 PM

This embedding thing is an interesting experiment. If they would just limit folks like Arnett or Geraldo (why the hell would you give that man a microphone?!) from participating it'll be great. As long as everyone involved is level-headed and responsible I think it's a great idea!

AlphaSigOU · #5 03-31-2003, 07:34 PM

It appears Geraldo also got sent packing by the 'Rakkasans' (3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)) for supposedly giving a little too much detail about planned troop movements in one of his reports.

M$NBC showed a brief clip of raw videotape of Geraldo in the act (with the OPSEC-violating evidence pixelated) earlier. Fox ain't saying much of anything about it, and on top of that Geraldo wasn't officially 'embedded' with the 101st anyway, so don't be surprised if he pops up somewhere else, but certainly not in the front lines.

UCFPhiDelt · #6 03-31-2003, 07:45 PM

I fully support the firing of Peter Arnett. He went way too far this time. He pulled the same crap during the first gulf war.

Edited to say: While Geraldo is still in Iraq, he will be leaving soon. I was incorrect, and AlphaSigOU was right. He will be pulled out very soon.

AlphaSigOU · #7 03-31-2003, 07:48 PM

Ol' Petey really stepped on his d*ck this go around... wonder what TV network will hire him on nowadays... Iraqi TV is looking for an English-speaking commentator, though!

EagleChick19 · #8 03-31-2003, 10:53 PM

This is the second time that Arnett was sent packing from a tv network.

Arnett, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his Associated Press reporting in Vietnam, suffered a major embarrassment in 1998 when he narrated a CNN documentary that had to be retracted over charges that U.S. troops had used nerve gas in that war. Arnett protested that he had contributed "not one comma" to the script, but CNN did not renew his contract the next year. (The last paragraph was taken from the Washington Post website.)

mu_agd · #9 03-31-2003, 10:59 PM

Apparently he wasn't unemployed for very long... although I don't know if I'd want everyone to know that I was now working for Britain's Daily Mirror.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D7Q4EURG0.html

thesweetestone · #10 03-31-2003, 11:20 PM

Sacked reporter Arnett joins British daily opposed to Iraq war
2 hours, 14 minutes ago Add Top Stories - AFP to My Yahoo!

LONDON (AFP) - Award-winning news correspondent Peter Arnett, sacked by the American TV network NBC after suggesting on Iraqi television that the US war plan had failed, has joined the Daily Mirror -- the British newspaper most opposed to the conflict.

AFP Photo

Reuters
Slideshow: NBC Fires Arnett Over Iraqi TV Interview

Latest news:
· Numbers and Estimates From Iraq
AP - 22 minutes ago
· American swerves to miss bankruptcy, US Airways enters fray
AFP - 34 minutes ago
· China, British FMs discuss Iraq
AFP - 35 minutes ago
Special Coverage

"Fired by America for telling the truth... Hired by Daily Mirror to carry on telling it," read the headline on the tabloid's front page Tuesday.

"I report the truth of what is happening here in Baghdad and will not apologise for it," Arnett told the daily.

"I have always admired your newspaper and am proud to be working for it."

Famed for his coverage of the Vietnam War and the first Gulf war (news - web sites), Arnett was sacked by NBC on Monday, and later also let go by National Geographic (news - web sites).

Arnett's comments, broadcast this past weekend by Iraqi television, said that Washington's "first war plan has just failed because of Iraqi resistance."

"Clearly the American war planners misjudged the determination of the Iraqi forces," Arnett, 68, told Iraqi journalists.

His comments met with severe criticism in the United States, with some accusing him of aiding the Iraqis.

Arnett had initially said he had no immediate plans for his future, quipping "There's a small island in the South Pacific, uninhabited, which I will try to swim to."

DeltAlum · #11 03-31-2003, 11:33 PM

Found the following in ShopTalk, a daily bulletin board popular with broadcasters:

"Arnett Fired: NBC fired Peter Arnett after he told Iraqi TV that the U.S. war plans so far had failed. Arnett has accepted a new assignment with Al Jazeera where he will be embedded with himself in a undisclosed fox hole trying to evade smart bombs with his name on them. (Cybersatirist Bob Hirschfeld http://bobsfridge.com)"

Tom Earp · #12 03-31-2003, 11:42 PM

These reporters were not and probably wont be the only ones booted!

The media has never before been able to cover a war such as this! Embedded, s**T what a wording like weapons of mass destruction!

What some of these mornos are doing, is giving sights for the enemy to pin point for rockets! Say cell phones DA!

I just talked to a friend who came back after being Qatar and Afgan with the Airforce Security Section!

Some of the things that Tiffany told me, Hell I may have shot them as she threated to do to a Qatar soldier, who was a paid merc!

These so called media people are putting our men and women in jepordy as in getting killed, as in DEAD!

Hell, I watch TV and read the paper, and there is damn little that is being put out if you know what I mean!