CNN’s Octavia Nasr Leaving Network After Controversial Hezbollah Tweet
» 32 comments
In the latest case of new media (or oversharing) gone wrong, CNN’s Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs Octavia Nasr is leaving the company following the controversy caused by her tweet in praise of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah
Mediaite has the internal memo, which says “we believe that her credibility in her position as senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs has been compromised.”
Nasr tweeted this weekend: “Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah… One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot.”
After a blog post expanding on her position, CNN promised the issue was “serious” and would “be dealt with accordingly.” That’s apparently her exit from CNN. Here’s an internal memo obtained by Mediaite:
From Parisa Khosravi – SVP CNN International Newsgathering
I had a conversation with Octavia this morning and I want to share with you that we have decided that she will be leaving the company. As you know, her tweet over the weekend created a wide reaction. As she has stated in her blog on CNN.com, she fully accepts that she should not have made such a simplistic comment without any context whatsoever. However, at this point, we believe that her credibility in her position as senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs has been compromised going forward.
As a colleague and friend we’re going to miss seeing Octavia everyday. She has been an extremely dedicated and committed part of our team. We thank Octavia for all of her hard work and we certainly wish her all the best.
Parisa.
Nasr has been with CNN for 20 years.
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32 comments
Hahaha!
She was shown for what she was: a terrorist sympathizer just like the one who will start on “This Week” in August.
I wonder if the programmers of Twitter ever thought their program would have such implications.
The lesson is, as always, be very careful when you are online.
It’s really hard to yell @ CNN about bias. The new media is changing news reporting and distinguishing opinion.
It’s a big old change coming that J school may need to address.
Did she really think that this was a good idea?
It’s too little too late for CNN to shed it’s pro-Terror/anti-semite stance.
The actually feel that with Amanpour gone and this poor stupid jerk, they can change peoples minds and get better ratings.
EVERYONE knows what CNN represents and who they favor, and NOTHING is going to save their sorry butts !
You just can’t criticise Israel or say something positive about its enemy in America. You do that, you loose your head.
Good Start CNN…
Now you need to replace another 25 or 30 people and you MIGHT start climbing out of your hole.
No, but as a hired “journalist” you report the news and offer opinions based upon the corporate structure.
That’s what she was fired for.
What she believes in and what she tweets are separate. She didn’t identify the two as such. Professional and personal. I believe CNN is striving for objectivity.
The line is getting blurred.
It’s so easy to shout out a false statement and watch everyone act like a pack of hungry dogs to get the juciest bone first…on the off chance that they might be right.
I always thought I was in the “know” about the media through Poynter and Romeneski’s blog.
Y’all are just a bunch of literate gossips.
Seems that those in the liberal media have gotten a little too cocky of late, feeling way too comfy in their liberal cocoon – and luckily some are finally being held accountable for their ugly comments.
David Shuster, Helen Thomas, Markos, Dave Weigel, Octavia….
Where are those far right loons that are always heralding the merits of “freedom of speech” when one of their own makes a verbal faux pas?
The Zionist-dominated media and the pro Israel neocons are a true embarrassment.
so are you!
If having a biased opinion on the Middle East means you can’t work for CNN, why does Wolf Blitzer still have a job?
She praises the creeps that not only fund the killing of American soldiers, but also other Muslims and who would no sooner keep her stuffed inside a burqa than duct-tape her silly mouth. Love Hezbollah so much, then why are you here? Seriously woman, are you serious?
Marvels the brain , to comprehend a woman’s sympathy for a organization that opresses womans rights.
Michael_T
Try to look past your hatred for Israel.
One of Fadlallah’s last acts before he died was to issue a fatwa authorising the use of suicide bomb attacks.
As a founder member of Hizbollah Fadlallah gave his personal approval to the massive suicide truck bomb attacks that levelled the American Embassy and Marine compound in Beirut in 1983, killing more than 300 people.
Fadlallah gave his personal blessing to the suicide bombers before they left for their deadly mission.
She praised this person!
And so did those creeps in Dearborn.
True Americans……
It seems as if everyone forgot that there are good qualities even in what may be personified as “bad” people.
It strikes me that people take something and run with it without understnding the base of the the story. Octavia never said that she supports Hizbullah, she said that she respected the guy for some of the things he stood for, and she clarified what those things were by stating that he respected women and stood against how women were treated in the Arab world.
Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Or is it freedom of speech only when it suits the big bosses?
Andy,
Try to look past your stupidity.
Hizbuallah didn’t exist at the time of the marine compound attacks
Also, objectivity about the middle east is not hatred of Israel, it’s simply making an attempt to understand the situation without relying on biased media.
Trust me, the people forced to use suicide attacks would prefer Apache helicopters and Tow missiles. And they’ve got far more courage than the dipshits in Nellis killing civilians with drones.
What is Freedom of Speech?? No freedom if your boss doesn’t like it…
If you live in the Judeo-Christian world, you cannot sympathise with reality and truth. You have to live a hypocritic, liar’s life. If you cannot compromise with hypocricy, then you lose job, and respect and all you thought was truth!!!
This will sum it up perfectly for those of you who don’t get it:
“Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don’t worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it.” – Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, October 3, 2001.
Sharon wasn’t kidding!
There are two sides to every coin, Unfortunately, the American media is run by those that wish you to see only one side of that coin. Because of this, we are headed towards blowback and our own destruction.
I’m SHOCKED!, SHOCKED! that there’s an anti-Israeli bias at CNN!
What’s next? – Hatemongering left-wing hosts ranting away at FOX every night on msnbc? LOL! LOL!
I love American freedom of expression!
“This is not the kind of life talking about in a short tweet. It’s something I regret deeply,” she writes. Yet Fadlallah praised it for being a pioneer on the theme “Women’s Rights” and warning against Muslim men abuse their wives. Octavia Nasr http://usspost.com/octavia-nasr-cnn-business-12049/
Yea! That’s your problem!
Maybe the fact that muslims have been blowing up innocent (infidels) as their national pastime,
or could it be that no matter what Israel does , you proudly announce your goal
is to see them all dead and by sensational means for all anti Israel family viewing & enjoyment.
Maybe it’s time all you Islamic fundamentalists put those suicide bombers to some
use as productive citizens, may be even get a new hobby like Soccer or Tennis or something..
Start treating your women like GASP: ‘human beings’ instead of animals,
and for God’s sake join the 21st century?
Kick that thought around some
That would b e the same “Freedom of Speech” to publish a harmless cartoon & not get terrorist uprising?
CNN has to protect their reputation from being branded as Terrorist sympathizer
The “Nation of Revenge” is very powerful as we know it.
Go against them and you are finished.
Aside from all of the political stuff, which, I submit, as an American, Ms. Nasr has every right to believe whatever she wants and to say so, she will likely be better off away from CNN anyhow. I used to watch her international news broadcasts on Sundays a number of years ago and really liked her. Then she disappeared, replaced by a woman young enough to be her daughter, possibly her granddaughter. This younger woman appeared to be reading things that she had never seen before and did not and could not understand. Yet there she stayed. I gave up on that show, which I used to enjoy. I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t a screen for an ageist choice to get rid of Ms. Nasr altogether after she didn’t give up earlier. I hope she lands somewhere where an intelligent woman can be valued no matter what her politics.
CNN sure does love terrorist sympathizers. They also love extremely low ratings and kissing Obama’s ass.
So if she said, “I’m happy he is dead” that would be OK with CNN?
definitely not
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