Has CNN Entered Gray Area Of Becoming, Not Just Reporting, The Story In Haiti?

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by Steve Krakauer | 2:04 pm, January 19th, 2010

» 16 comments

CNN, like all the news networks, is devoting major resources to the Haiti earthquake tragedy and we’re seeing excellent reporting.

But through a series of Haiti-related occurrences, questions are being raised about the murky line between journalism and becoming part of the story.

It is important to note upfront that the criticism comes with major caveats – no one wants to diminish the tremendous work CNN is doing both in reporting the story and helping others, in ways that, in some cases, those whose job it actually is to help are not even doing. And it is a given that all networks are doing their part to help direct people to the best places to donate money and other resources that are desperately need in the region.

Which brings us to last night’s Larry King special. A star-studded group of celebrities gathered on CNN for two hours to help raise money for Haiti, and by all accounts it was an enormous success (raising more than $7 million in four hours). But where’s the line between journalism and activism? CNN put on a two-hour prime time telethon, complete with phone bank, Tweet Suite and celebrity pleas. Jared Leto bought Larry King’s suspenders.

And this comes a few days before the real telethon takes place, on Friday. George Clooney, Wyclef Jean and CNN’s Anderson Cooper will anchor the roadblocked telethon, airing commercial-free on ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT. Last week, Inside Cable News addressed the potential conflict of interest with putting Cooper in the anchor role.

I don’t care how pure Cooper or CNN’s intentions are, and I’m going to assume for the sake of argument that they are indeed pure. It just looks wrong. And looks matter because they shape people’s perceptions.

Is it for a good cause? Of course. But Cooper playing the role of host, even from Haiti, leads down the path of potentially diminishing his news anchor role.

> Update: A CNN spokesperson says, “Anderson Cooper will be reporting form Haiti for the MTV telethon this Friday – he is not hosting.”

Cooper played a different role yesterday – in one of the most unforgettable videos yet from Haiti. He moved from anchor to hero, carrying a bloody child to safety in a powerful video that replayed several times on CNN (and with good reason). But even something like this – it can start down the slippery slope of Cooper becoming the story as much as covering it.

The Los Angeles Times‘ Matea Gold examines the trend of TV doctors becoming real doctors, across all networks. “Some media ethicists said medical correspondents should consider forgoing their journalistic roles if they’re going to participate in the relief effort,” she writes.

One of the most visible is CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who has been thrust into the “doctor” role in several key instances. “I don’t think our intention is to ever make the story about myself,” he said. “I think people innately understand that there is a tremendous medical need down here, and if you can help, you should help.”

Again, all of this is a fine line, and there’s no right answer. On some level, Haiti needs all the help it can get, and no matter what your job is down there, whether it’s to bring aid, keep the peace, or yes, hold a camera or microphone, you should do whatever you can to ultimately save lives. But when we step back from this story in a month or even longer, how will we remember what Anderson Cooper did for CNN? Will it be his reporting, him carrying a child to safety or his toss to the star of Ocean’s Eleven? Does it matter?

There is one thing we can all agree on (well, almost everyone): help.

Check out videos from all parts of CNN’s Haiti coverage on the next page.

>>> NEXT PAGE: Videos of King, Cooper, Gupta.

Pages: 1 2

anderson cooper, Campbell Brown, CNN, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Haiti, Haiti coverage, larry king, Larry King Live, Sanjay Gupta

Zakk

Really? It’s a ‘gray area’ if the reporters are doing the HUMAN thing to do? Really?
snforrester

This doesn’t bother me. It’s nice of them to lead the way in reporting and helping the people of Haiti. Where’s the “gray area” talk when it comes to the other channels and their overly biased political coverage? Fox News and MSNBC are nothing but “grey area” these days.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

I’m not going to bother to look for the specific reference, but wasn’t this an episode of Lou Grant and by the end of the hour hadn’t Rossi come around to Billie’s way of thinking?
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

The grey area rests in that part of a story when the news reporters become news makers in this way — injecting yourself into a scene as needed is fine, but how about turning the camera off? The very fact that the camera caught AC in action automatically calls up questions. Is there a possibility of him leaping into action because he was filmed? Was his action over-dramatic as a result? Was any part of the activity staged for effect? I am not at all suggesting any of these were in play, but the use of the camera allows for this kind of speculation. Turn it off and take action, then there is no chance at controversey.
Tommy Christopher

There will always be some who are slow to recognize the sheer magnitude of anomalies like the Haiti earthquake. These concerns might be valid in 999,999 out of a million stories, but clearly not in this one. If or When the line is crossed, there will be no gray area. Everyone will know it.
The Real Royal King

This is a very tough call. If I were a purist, I’d have to say that Cooper ought not have gotten involved. I’m not so much concerned that this might have been staged. This is Cooper and CNN, not Rivera and FOX. The situation was real and demanded action. I am more concerned that the objectivity is lost. This isn’t a pure situation, however, is it? We have a disaster of proportions unknown to most of us. We have people in terrible need. When I contrast this with Rove’s continued political involvement whilst on FOX, the Cooper/Haiti “problem” simply vanishes. Similarly, were Olbermann, O’Reilly, Van Susteren and others, dilettantes and gutless cowards each, directly involved, they would seem inauthentic. Cooper was right. Gupta, even more so, given an ethical imperative of sorts from his “home” profession.
TfT

I applaud Cooper and Gupta for the actions they have taken. However, CNN didn’t have to air the video of Cooper, they could have reported the incident without the drama of showing Cooper doing the rescue. I thought Gupta stepped over the line when he stayed at the hospital and turned his crew into medics overnight and then told the world about it. He could have used his media folks to do what they did and report but without making themselves the story. Cooper has become the story in this incident….good for him for doing it….but bad for CNN for releasing the tape of him doing it. mho.
thelowedown

There is a thin line between becoming the story and being a journalist. I for one have always hated when reporters go to these types of situations and stand around gawking. The bastards NEED to help. But, the glorification is not necessary. They only deserve to be glorified as much as every other person that has rescued someone has.
lawfirmgirl

I think both Cooper & Gupta acted out of compassion, What kind of person (Cooper) would just stand there & look at a boy, possibly bleeding to death and do nothing? If you watch the video, he does look around a couple times to see if there is a policeman, or other medical person to help. In the case of Gupta, he is bound by the Hippocratic Oath – first do no harm. As a doctor, he is bound to help others which comes before his role as a journalist.
libra blue

As I said on an earlier post, I don’t have a problem with what Anderson did. I think what he and Dr. Gupta have been doing is admirable in this situation and the reporting has been excellent. However, I agree with MartiniShark and TfT, CNN should not be exploiting the incident with Anderson, it cheapens it and causes some people to speculate whether some of it may have been “staged for effect.”

When I first saw the footage I thought why is the camera guy filming this, why isn’t he helping Anderson with this boy? I can even understand them airing it a few times, but it is being shown continuously. What is even more questionable is that the AC360 blog has posted a series of photos documenting the incident, in my opinion, not a great move.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

I had the exact thought, Libra. The role of the media over there right now is immeasurable, but when it gets time to take action that is not a Kodak moment. Cooper and Gupta should rightly be applauded, but the video aspect of it almost feels like they are commoditizing the compassion, which Steve seems to be driving at here. I would not even have an issue if Cooper got on camera later and detailed what he and his crew experienced. Filming their actions seems like a trivial need.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason-DeRusha/500089260 Jason DeRusha

Local television stations have phone banks all the time during newscasts. I’m not sure how fundraising for Haiti relief injects you into the story. By this standard, no jouranlists should ever volunteer for chairities, be on non-profit boards, or shovel their neighbor’s driveway.

I’m all for ethics, but I think this is such an out-of-the-norm situation, it’s silly to get worked up about medical reporters trying to help out and treat some victims.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

Jason’s comment reminded me of a scenario;

Occasionally during sweeps, some local stations will broadcast pictures of sex offenders with non-updated registration info and they’ll man, plus broadcast phone banks for people to call in to report the whereabouts of the lost offenders. These phones are usually staffed by representatives from local law enforcement and I have seen during election years, the Sheriff himself working the phones.

If you want to call out phone banks as a way to inject oneself in the story, I find the above a lot more questionable than what happened the other night on Larry King.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

I don’t see anything wrong with what Cooper did. Journalists have no ethics anymore anyway. That said, he should not have been filmed doing it. If you want to help out in the heat of the moment then do so, but don’t try and get ratings out of it later.
sarainitaly

i am going to have to go with Tft and Martini and libra blue…. they are doing tremendous, dangerous work, and they should be applauded, but I think it would have meant more sans camera.

It is a slippery slope indeed. He was probably conflicted. But a little boy, with blood streaming down his face is just too much. his human instincts took over.

But I agree about not filming it, or at least not airing it over and over again. I wrote earlier, I just can’t imagine the images that horrify them as they close their eyes at night. it is so horrendous.
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