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Egypt is rapidly becoming a very dangerous place for foreign journalists. On the heels of the attacks on Fox News’ Greg Palkot, CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC News’ Christiane Amanpour, an NBC News crew has been carjacked by a group of angry Egyptian men and threatened with beheading. According to ABC News, its producer Brian Hartman, cameraman Akram Abi-hanna and two other ABC News employees were surrounded on a crowded (and considered safe) road that leads from Cairo’s airport to the city’s downtown area.
Hartman told ABC that it was only through the appeal of Abi-hanna, who is Lebanese and a veteran ABC cameraman, that they were saved from being killed or severely beaten. “We thought we were goners,” Hartman said . “We absolutely thought we were doomed.”
A total of 30 journalists from different countries have been targeted by protesters in Egypt in the past few days.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Wow, instead reporting the news they are make the news.
Most of these reporters have been ‘making the news’ rather than reporting it. Remember how they all touted the million person march, and were extremely hesitant to acknowledge the number was far less.
Unfortunately, the media paints the picture of what it wants you to see, and this is often at the expense of the truth. Peaceful demonstrations often do not capture the attention they deserve, because there are no fires, explosions, injured or killed.
“If it bleeds…it leads”…is the long established and exponentially expanding criteria for news coverage.
That being said, it is time for the media to withdraw to higher ground. No one wishes any harm to confront them.
Dear Tom:
It is “obvious” from all the videos, from all the networks, that our own “journalists” present(I personally exempt Cooper, who appears to be too mentally deranged for reporting any facts) that it is SO EASILY possible for a TV crew from the USA to stir up enough angst in a foreign country to attract hundreds of thousands of locals to riot and burn (and maybe behead), only for being there, apparently with NO other reason.
It is also “obvious” that in a huge angry gathering like in Cairo (I have been there also) that it is SO easy to merely walk to a safe spot and go on filming, no problemo.
Really?
Reporters are supposed to report the news and NEVER become the news. I’m not saying they asked to be assaulted — of course they didn’t — but at this point it all feels like a hyper-sensationalized ratings grab. Cooper, Amenpour, etc, are fine correspondents and I’m sure we all support their right to report (I know I do). But they’re in Egypt, not America, and it is now beyond obvious that their presence there is stirring the pot — ie. THEY are fueling the violence! Foreign reporters could easily pull back to safer ground and still cover this story. No, it won’t be as titillating, but it will be a step toward restoring some semblance of credibility to the three ring circus that passes itself off as legitimate media.
(1) Please read my reply to Tom.
(2) Although I usually enjoy hearing Amanpour reportage, (I do not know any details of her biases) I am disgusted whenever I hear Cooper, why call him “fine” in any context?
Let him get healed, and go home, and think. Here, the Pinkos will protect him. I wonder if he is compassionate (“civil”) enough to wish the Fox crew to get healed and go home?
So now the story is about the safety of American journalists and not Egypt? American news is so whacked. All CNN and MSNBC wanted to talk about at first was how Twitter and Facebook helped fuel the protests. Now that people are getting hurt it’s about violence. What a sad state of affairs.
Can we please send in Wolf Blitzer…
And maybe Glenn Beck too.
I have a lot of respect for these reporters and their brethren but I think it’s time for them all to get out of Dodge.
Agree.
In America journalists love being the headline more than reporting the headlines.
Oh, yeah, I’m sure they went out there and paid some of these guys to beat the crap out of them so they could become the subjects of reporting. Right.
Dear Go Back To Sleep,
How ridiculously out of context your comment is. If you are a journalist…this is understandable…but, if not….go back to sleep.
The original statement and its implication that the journalists there, from the U.S. and many other countries may somehow be putting their own lives in danger in order to become the subject of the news rather than to report it is ridiculous. If you don’t see that, then let me suggest you try and find a cup of coffee and wake up.
You guys are so hypocritical its incredible to watch.
Mubarak is YOUR guy. The US put him there and has been his supporter for 30 years, and were planning an Egypt with his son in power for who knows how many years after this.
Last week you Americans were still proclaiming Mubarak would prevail. You give him billions of dollars in military aid every year. And now you want to act surprised and sympathetic to the Egyptian people? It’s sickening.
Hey Sweden –
we can always count on the Europeans to blame the Americans. Let’s see, 20 million people killed in Europe in WW2 and hundreds of thousands in former Yugoslavia. Please lecture us about getting along with people!
Benny, put down the defense and read what Sven said. It’s true, we back any govt. that helps us in our national interests. If the locals have a boot on the throat, oh well. Then one day the little folks get up and they see the damage done, by whom and with help from??? USA. The citizens, rightly, hold us to blame for “some” or most of it. BTW all countries do this to one degree or another. We keep telling people we saved them, spent millions, lost American lives. All true. Also, we paid off a dictator who killed his father and raped his sister. You don’t understand this? Build 186 nuke plants ASAP..18 ,onths from now
“You Americans.” Congratulations on the sweeping generalization. I assume it was made while on break at the Ikea factory.
Anderson Cooper’s been doing this kind of thing long for a long time, before he ever became well known. He’s very active in the field as part of his personal philosophy about journalism, not for fame and fortune. I guess it’s a shame he can’t do his work from Glenn Beck’s cozy personal panic room–I mean “studio.” Real journalists don’t just rehash what they get from some blogger or spend their time doodling conspiracy theories on a chalk board.
Anyone who addresses an entire country as if there were some monolithic mind set or philosophy to which every citizen of that country must adhere is a moron.
We “put” Mubarak there? Not exactly how it went down. But we did support him because he is the closest thing that region has to a pragmatic leader (that doesn’t say much, now does it?). Yes, this puts the US in a tough place – and forcing us into the very definition of a dilemma (where both options are not too good) – but let me ask you something Sweden, where does your country stand on this and why haven’t you done anything about it? Here are your choices:
1. We are powerless to do anything (pretty sad, but true).
2. We don’t have an opinion. But don’t mistake us for Switzerland.
3. We do have an opinion. But only after the shit hits the fan and the choice is clear.
G-d bless America for not being neutral. That’s why she is the greatest country on the planet and sets the example for the free world.
At least the reporters/journalists, videographers let you see/hear what is going on. Hit the mute if you don’t want to hear their dialogue. Now the Egypt government has silenced all the journalists good and bad. So what don’t they want us to see?
They shouldn’t even be there but of course they rush to these kind of hot spots in order to gain attention for themselves and maybe land a show later on. Just like the idiots who run out into a hurricane to report on a hurricane. You don’t have to throw yourself into danger to report the news, fools. Not only that, they’re just getting in the way as well as taking valuable medical attention away from Egyptians who are hurt (i.e. the people who belong in Egypt).
“So now the story is about the safety of American journalists and not Egypt?”
I’m confused…who said that? Should they not report the fact that their journalists were attacked?
The operative question is should the US journalists (AND their crews) even be in the line of action, especially after being physically attacked yesterday.
Rent “Wag the Dog” from Netflix. Look at oil and gas prices skyrocketing as a result of this chaos. Somebody’s getting rich and it ain’t you. Not to mention it diverts attention away from the Senate halting the GOP-controlled Congress’s attempt to repeal Obama’s healthcare bill.
1.) Oil prices were going up before this happened. And frankly we don’t get a say about it, whether it is about the instability in the region or about paying for something in Saudi Arabia or Russia or Abu Dhabi. Or even more likely the commodities speculators want.
2.) Please brush up on your civics. The GOP controls one house of Congress not Congress. The Senate is part of Congress and the majority party there is Democratic. Control of Congress is split. Period. As for the GOP they put repeal of the Health care bill forward as an amendment to the FAA bill. It got a vote, it lost. Without passing BOTH houses of Congress, nothing is going to happen. This one bugs you. A lot of things I believe in are going to go to the House of Representatives to die when the GOP votes against them. That is just the way it is. (And do I even need to point out that the GOP didn’t even have the numbers in the House to overcome a Presidential veto. This was a waste of time and utterly for show.)
As for all this, the reason the Pro Mubarak ‘protesters’ are attacking journalists is because video makes it is obvious they are thugs sent in to break up the protests, not interested in democracy. Getting rid of the press is absolutely necessary to keep up the front of this being driven by the will of the people.
Thanks, Pat. Nice to know there are still some smart people out there!
The kind of “in-depth” truth seeking reporting these TV “journalists” were doing, could have easily have been phoned in.
Putting themselves in harms way, knowing full well how much America is liked in the Middle East -was just asking for trouble… and they got all ON CAMERA!
Pity they didn’t get so involved with 9-11…
Nellie, why report just on US journalists? Journalists from other countries have been beaten up and ended up in hospital (Sweden), have had to run and hide in embassies (Germany’s ZDF), most if not all have had all their equipment taken away from them and threatened with death, some french ones have been in custody……
If you choose to report on the troubles affecting Journalists in Egypt, report about all of them. It’s what we expect from Deadline Hollywood,New York & London!!!
You know, everyone loves to bash America until there are civil rights issues in other countries, or poverty, or what have you. Believe me, if it was up to most Americans, we would pack up, come home and let the rest of you “civilized” countries work out your own problems. Canadians and Brits, not all, but more than a few, love sitting on their hands and taking potshots at us. And they seem very comfortable taking our money and jobs, even though we’re horrible. Maybe we need to learn from their apathy and just come home. Plenty of things to fix around here. All that said, we are the greatest country in the world. Not infallible, but last time I checked, I haven’t seen anyone riding out on camels to whip any protestors, or behead any journalists, at least not in my neighborhood.
I would not be surprised if the “name” TV news people in Egypt (read: Brian Williams, Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, Christiane Annepour, etc.) are ordered out of the country by their superiors within 24 hours for their own safety (or by Friday evening the 4th, Eastern time) simply because they may become too tempting a target.
Imagine what criticism a network might undergo were a star anchor to be killed during this upheavel (“Why did you allow [name] to be sent to Egypt knowing he/she would be killed”)??
The protesters don’t want to be photographed and have their images identified later if Mubarak or his supporters should want retribution. These reporters should expect anything in a volatile region. War correspondents always have to be prepared for the worse. That said, I hope it blows over quickly.
WRONG. The protesters have nothing to lose but their lives and they obviously don’t care at this point.
These reporters are being targeted by government thugs, and all reports indicate that the government is whipping up violence to give them an excuse to start killing its citizens. It only makes sense that they wouldn’t want the news media seeing this.
the reporters have run into the eye of the storm. do they think the tornado would just bypass them simply because their the heir to the vanderbilt estate (anderson cooper)? or because they’re americans. i’m an american. so i’m not blowing off steam. but i really can’t stand anderson cooper.
In other news, a Hooters waitress is now masquerading as a journalist at Fox.
Stupid move by those (attackers) Egyptian people. Don’t they realize those journalists are the only ones getting their story out there for the rest of the World to hear and take notice of the plight?
There are over 300 million American with differing viewpoints and agendas… Lumping us into “you Americans” is oversimplifying things a bit. Why not take it a step further and say “you homo sapiens are hypocrites”
Of course they should be there. I hope they live, but, if they die, they die. The story is a huge story, and showing what is going on in Egypt right now is more important than living.
Say what????
Hate to break it to you, honey, but there are other countries in the world and other terrible events that are happening at the moment that the American media simply isn’t covering because all they’re interested in covering 24/7 is Egypt. For example, Australia has been hit with major flooding (three quarters of one state was submerged) earlier this year and now they’re facing cyclones of which the eye of one is as large as the entire state it’s hitting. I’d love to see some coverage of that on the news thanks to having family and friends over there but, no, it’s Egypt 24/7 and to hell with the rest of the planet, right?
@Sweden. It’s a little more complicated than that and the statement that they receive billions annually in military aid is factually incorrect. It’s approximately 1.1 billion in total aid which includes a good deal of domestic support. It is a no-win situation to have to deal with dictators to maintain stability in the region. But if the U.S. chose only to deal with democratic arab nations they would have to opt out as there are no arab democracies at present. I think most Americans are deeply sympathetic to the goals of Egyptians to become a democracy, but it is hard to fault the U.S. on this as they have had to deal with the realities and not sit on the sidelines and carp as our Swedish friends are able to do.
With the way things are going downhill fast in Egypt, it will be a miracle if we don’t wind up with reporters either stuck there, injured or killed. They are heading for anarchy and no one will be safe. I feel for the Egyptian people.
umm,, is anyone really surprised about these attacks? i expected it cus they don’t like us in that region. u think think they got time to distinguish journalists and americans? double u t f did u expect.
“Targeted by protesters” ??
I think you mean targeted by government thugs. Why on earth would the protesters care if the news was there?
Obviously the government is starting to kill protesters and they don’t want the world to see it.
As an Egyptian-American with family in Cairo and Alexandria, I can tell you that everyone on this board is getting it wrong.
Mubarak’s ruling party, the NDP, hire thugs – the so-called “pro-Mubarak supporters” – for as little as 20 Egyptian pounds – to rough up any and all members of the opposition. It happens every election and it’s happening now.
Egyptian State TV also have made it a point to label all journalists not kowtowing to the gov’t's version of events as “foreign agitators”, including those working for Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya. (Basically, journalists are coming under attack for reporting on the brutal crackdown of opposition demonstrators.)
And as a side note: most of the opposition demonstrations have had no anti-American or anti-Israeli overtones. As a matter of fact, many of the people make these points:
(1) They want to be an American-style democracy (and wish the American gov’t wholeheartedly supported that aspiration) with an American-style economic system (a mix of free-market and liberal, non-monopoly ideals – right now NDP big wigs control most businesses).
(2) They want a multi-party style Parliament (not the 2-party system of the US and the UK), similar to that in Turkey and in Israel (heard that point over and over again).
(3) They also want the government to reflect the different religions (more than just Sunni Muslims in Egypt) and different ethnic groups (more than just Arabs in Egypt) of the population. Also, an expanded role of women in society, gov’t.
(4) Keep the peace with Israel while still brokering one btwn the Israelis and Palestinians (whose aspirations they DO support). The majority of Egyptians do not want war. (This is a very important point).