CNN was first to report the execution of Saddam Hussein, with reporter Aneesh Raman breaking the news from Baghdad at 10:07 p.m. EST. Raman quoted Arab news services, which had the story first. Fox News and MSNBC also relied on the reports from the Arab channels. While I was flipping around channels, TV Newser Brian Stelter caught the quick NBC News special report at 10:14, making NBC the first net to break in. CBS News followed at 10:19, with a report hosted by Katie Couric. While ABC News was third among the nets, it had the longest coverage, with Elizabeth Vargas changing gears while hosting 20/20 to devote the rest of the hour (which had been about celebrity culture). Over at TV Newser, Stelter quotes an ABC News source as defending the decision to hold off on the announcement (ABC was last, breaking in at 10:25 pm): “While ABC was last to get on the air with a report on Saddam’s execution, we were FIRST to air official independent confirmation” from the U.S., an ABC insider says. “Seconds before the special report took to the air, Jonathan Karl had just gotten off the phone with a senior U.S. official who confirmed what all the others were hanging on unconfirmed Arab media reports. This was a deliberate decision made by wise managers in New York.” There is a legitimate point here – and I’m interested in what the LR Faithful think about the choice. The media gets criticized when it reports stories too quickly, without attribution. The nets reported this story well after the cable channels. So, were the nets practicing better journalism?
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