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CNN’s Kiran Chetry Laughs, Cries, Or Both At Soldier’s Story

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by James Hogue | 2:01 pm, October 1st, 2010

» 5 comments

Kiran: “It’s a long story.” An untold one. Today after a Soldier’s Story report by Jason Carroll that had featured a G.I. reading a touching letter from his wife, American Morning‘s Kiran Chetry teared up and strangely laughed. As Kiran looked at Jason, then at co-anchor John Roberts, and back at Jason, she wiped her eyes, tittered dissonantly, and said, “Sorry.” Leaning in toward Kiran and grabbing her hand, Jason tenderly asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Kiran quickly. Subsequently, raising her hand, she muttered something else rendered inaudible by her continued laughter. Trying to regain her composure, Kiran looked down at her desk and covered her eyes. Then looking up at the viewer, Kiran stammered, “It’s a long story. Sorry. We’ll explain when we come [back].” Still giggling, she closed her eyes and put her hand to her mouth.

As John waited for Kiran to finish, he looked down and bit his lip. When Kiran concluded, John remarked, “Yeah. Okay.” Then, placing his hand on her shoulder, John queried, “You alright? Are you?” As John then began to read the segment out and Kiran began to well up anew, a then off-camera Jason whispered, “It’s okay.” As the block was ending, John echoed, “It’s gonna be okay.” Apparently, trying to exhibit control of her emotions anew, an off-camera Kiran exclaimed, “We’ll be right back.” Once again, John comforted Kiran, saying, “It’s gonna be alright.”

When Kiran and John returned after commercial break for the final segment of the show, a dry-eyed Kiran appeared. Perchance, conveniently forgetting her promise to her audience to explain her laughing and giggling when we come [back],” Kiran asked John about the playlist song by Rush. As they then discussed Rush’s Atlanta concert tonight and John’s possible participation in it, perhaps, they hoped that the viewers had also forgotten Kiran’s promise to explain the long story.

Update: To her Twitter followers who did not forget, Kiran tweeted an explanation. To a supportive one, she simply wrote, “@LoniLove just got a little choked up.” Later, to a more critical one (and @LonieLove again), she elaborated, “@Singleintheciti @LoniLove just got a little choked up and teary during Jason’s story. then felt a little silly.” And that’s the rest of the story, Kiran’s “long story”?

This post was first published on Carpe Diem blog and appears on Mediaite via an agreement with the writer, James Hogue.

A Soldier's Story, CNN, CNN John Roberts, james hogue, Kiran Chetry

http://www.squidoo.com/lauriebethsgrotto Laurie Beth

She clearly started crying unexpectedly and didn’t know how to stop/handle it on live television so she started laughing nervously. This happens to a lot of women; you start laughing when you try to stop crying. She didn’t do anything wrong.
jk76

I agree with Laurie, but I do wonder if she had a story to tell as well. It was a happy cry and very happy chuckles as if it reminded her of something specific. Gonna make me look up Kiran to see what it was about. She sounded childlike almost, perhaps her father, my best guess.

Glad to see there’s still humanity in the robot anchors of TV
Newsjunky

I saw this when it aired life and I thought to myself “WTF” was that all about? I remember thinking I wished I was watching it on my TV that had the DVR connected to it, because I wanted to rewind it and see it again. It was so bizarre when it happened and then she didn’t address it at all when they came back from break. I don’t know. On the heels of John Roberts chastizing her on air a week or so ago, I thought this was strange.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Helen-Nordo/100000884291530 Helen Nordo

You have to wonder if she had something under that desk that she sipped before she went on the air. She began to laugh out loud almost at the beginning of the segment, there were no tears, CNN has really been having difficulty finding good anchors. First there was John Roberts who, last week, told Kiran to stop rustling her papers as it was distracting him. Now you have Kiran, totally inexperienced, laughing at a loving letter written to a soldier, there is no excuse for this! CNN seems to be running a comedy show instead of a News organization. and THEY have the nerve to attack FOX..the best and ONLY show on television, great information, great timing, great reporting & great anchors..They obviously have savvy Producers who had the good sense to hire the very best who know how to deliver the honest news in an intelligent way, with some humor, great eye contact, no nonsense..just telling it like it is..By providing us with the truth in the news, they are bringing many people together who, otherwise, would be viewing & listening to whatever the other media would choose to present, truth or not..Keep up the good work Bill,Glenn,Hannity, & the hottest…Greta!
beavoux

Helen Nordo said:
You have to wonder if she had something under that desk that she sipped before she went on the air. She began to laugh out loud almost at the beginning of the segment, there were no tears, CNN has really been having difficulty finding good anchors. First there was John Roberts who, last week, told Kiran to stop rustling her papers as it was distracting him. Now you have Kiran, totally inexperienced, laughing at a loving letter written to a soldier, there is no excuse for this! CNN seems to be running a comedy show instead of a News organization. and THEY have the nerve to attack FOX..the best and ONLY show on television, great information, great timing, great reporting & great anchors..They obviously have savvy Producers who had the good sense to hire the very best who know how to deliver the honest news in an intelligent way, with some humor, great eye contact, no nonsense..just telling it like it is..By providing us with the truth in the news, they are bringing many people together who, otherwise, would be viewing & listening to whatever the other media would choose to present, truth or not..Keep up the good work Bill,Glenn,Hannity, & the hottest…Greta!

Oh STFU Nordo!