Say It Ain't So Already

Remember When Ashleigh Banfield Was a Pariah?

December 29, 2011 at 2:51 PM Leave a comment

TVNewser is reporting today that two new morning shows will debut on CNN on Monday, one starring Ashley Banfield:

Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images Entertainment

CNN will be launching its new 4-hour morning show Monday, the day before the Iowa Caucuses. Soledad O’Brien will anchor the 7-9am hours from Des Moines Monday and Tuesday with Ashleigh Banfield and Zoraida Sambolin anchoring the 5-7am hours from New York.

Remember when Ashleigh Banfield was a pariah in medialand because she criticized its abysmal coverage of the Iraq war?

Banfield, in a speech at Kansas State University [in 2003], had lashed out at “cable news operators who wrap themselves in the American flag and go after a certain target demographic.”

Banfield also claimed in her speech TV should have shown the gruesome results of coalition force in Iraq.

“We didn’t see what happen when Marines fired M-16s,” Banfield said. “We didn’t see what happened after mortars landed, only the puff of smoke. There were horrors that were completely left out of this war. So was this journalism? Or was this coverage?”

Reporters embedded with troops said there was little or no opportunity to film the “blood and guts” of the war due to logistical reasons. Many did not see much combat action.

Banfield’s address also suggested some cable TV networks skewed their coverage to please advertisers.

“It was a grand and glorious picture that had a lot of people watching,” Banfield said, “and a lot of advertisers excited about cable TV news. But it wasn’t journalism, because I’m not sure Americans are hesitant to do this again – to fight another war, because it looked to them like a courageous and terrific endeavor.”

I thought she was a terrific reporter and I liked her even more for the guts it took to speak out.  Glad to see her back (though I don’t know if even she can make me watch CNN again).  Hopefully she’ll show the same spunk she had in 2003.  I hope that hasn’t been intimidated out of her.

Entry filed under: CNN / TimeWarner, Wars. Tags: ashleigh banfield, ashley banfield.