Undisclosed Locations And Low-Light Liveshots: Reporters Adapt To Risks In Egypt

video

by Mark Joyella | 8:46 am, February 3rd, 2011

» 25 comments

In the hours before dawn in Cairo, CNN’s Anderson Cooper reported from inside a dimly-lit room in a building deliberately described as “an undisclosed location near Tahrir Square.” The appearance of Cooper, perched on a couch alongside some of the network’s extensive reporting team in Egypt, was a visual indication of how rapidly the security situation has deteriorated for American journalists in Egypt.

“I honestly don’t know when I can leave this building,” Cooper told The Hollywood Reporter. “I have no idea what’s going to happen in the next couple of hours.” Earlier in the day, Cooper and crew were attacked by pro-government “demonstrators” as they attempted to cross Tahrir Square. Punched, shoved and threatened, the crew retreated, leading to hours of live reporting on CNN and other networks with top talent off camera to avoid exposing them to the bright lights that might expose their location.

At ABC News, whose correspondent Christiane Amanpour was surrounded while on assignment and then attacked as she and her ABC crew retreated in a car, security trumps coverage. Tom Nagorski, ABC News’ Managing Editor for International Coverage told Mediaite “We rely heavily on the smarts and experience of our people on the ground. (Yesterday’s) events posed a particular challenge–given the sudden and powerful insertion of the forces that stormed Tahrir Square. It’s clear that journalists and cameras have become targets for some Egyptians on both sides–and that introduces a dangerous dynamic as well.”

The street smarts of experienced international journalists like Cooper were on display during the incident Wednesday, as Cooper explained to viewers why he, his photographer and producer walked away from the attack, rather than running. Cooper said their experience taught them running would inflame the crowd and bring on a heightened mob mentality. “He has a security adviser with him,” said Tony Maddox, executive vp, CNN International, told THR. “We will make other security advisers available. The last thing Anderson would want is his presence to upset the balance of what he’s seeking to do. He’s a very professional correspondent.”

Watch Cooper reporting from the network’s “undisclosed location” on AC 360, from CNN:

abc, anderson cooper, Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Egypt, journalists, security

BFD

“Cooper said their experience taught them running would inflame the crowd and bring on a heightened mob mentality”

It’s true. You should never run from bears and Muslims.
It only provokes them.

The best thing to do is to make eye contact, back slowly away, and speak with a Canadian accent.
Bears and Muslims like Canadians.

They both make great rugs too!!
skyfet

Am I supposed to feel sorry for them. They all look all right to me, compared to those who are dead or bloodied. In the end they chose to go there. Capiche?
Nobodys_Stooge

I admire and respect those who put themselves in harms way to bring us the facts. That being said, if they want to report from a safe place they should go to Fox where the most dangerous weapon they will encounter is a piece of chalk!
wasjustsayin

skyfet said:
Am I supposed to feel sorry for them. They all look all right to me, compared to those who are dead or bloodied. In the end they chose to go there. Capiche?

Judging by your comments, I have the feeling you feel sorry for no one except yourself.
Nobodys_Stooge

BFD said:
“Cooper said their experience taught them running would inflame the crowd and bring on a heightened mob mentality” It’s true. You should never run from bears and Muslims.It only provokes them. The best thing to do is to make eye contact, back slowly away, and speak with a Canadian accent.Bears and Muslims like Canadians. They both make great rugs too!!

As the owner of three Canadians I do not find this funny at all!
sticks

Jesus !! Chit !! Mediaite !!!… Another day of endless Anderson Cooper stories !!!…
CosmosDan

Ladies and Gentlemen, America’s decades old failed foreign policy displayed for the world at large.
skyfet

wasjustsayin said:
Judging by your comments, I have the feeling you feel sorry for no one except yourself.

So there stories is as serious as those who were shot, dead or injured. They put their head on the line for their carrier. Ordinary Egyptians are at home staying put, nut these guys took a plane to Cairo to be in the middle of the action. That’s what they want to do, that’s what the signed up for.
tatboy

Can you all imagine the headlines if Bush was still prez???
ProObamaAgenda

lol @ the folk on msnbc and cnn insinuating that obama should send the us military into Egypt to protect anderson cooper and brian williams….good luck getting that to happen. people like cooper and williams who spend lots of tv time referring to all Muslims as Islamic extremists now want to inject themselves into the story even more by standing in a crowd of angry Muslims that they themselves have crimalized. perhaps they should just leave, dont they know that they can lie from a studio like fox news does?? you don’t see bill o’rielly sending his ambush news squad over there do you? anderson cooper broadcasting from a 50th floor hotel room closet is great tv.
BatBoy

Shouldn’t the title of this article be…

“WHEN REPORTERS WORK AT BECOMING THE STORY!”

Watch Cooper reporting from the network’s “undisclosed location”

I predict their rating will continue to fall.
Pablo

Nobodys_Stooge said:
I admire and respect those who put themselves in harms way to bring us the facts. That being said, if they want to report from a safe place they should go to Fox where the most dangerous weapon they will encounter is a piece of chalk!

Do you know who Greg Palkot, Ashley Williams and Leland Vittert are? Do you know who they work for? Do you know where they are? Hint: They’re Fox News correspondents on the ground in Cairo.

I so love you Fox News experts who can’t get the most basic facts about Fox News right. It seems that if you didn’t hear about it on MSLSD (The network about news networks) it couldn’t be happening on Fox News. If you’re so obsessed with Fox News, why don’t you try watching it, so that you don’t make these idiotic, easily avoidable mistakes?
Pablo

CosmosDan said:
Ladies and Gentlemen, America’s decades old failed foreign policy displayed for the world at large.

Yeah, this has nothing to do with Arab culture or Egyptian policy or any of that stuff. In fact, all of Egypt is 100% American made.
CosmosDan

tatboy said:
Can you all imagine the headlines if Bush was still prez???

???? Yeah, he’s lucky. No crisis to deal with.
BFD

Coming this fall to FOX:

“When Muslims Attack!”
CosmosDan

Pablo said:
Yeah, this has nothing to do with Arab culture or Egyptian policy or any of that stuff. In fact, all of Egypt is 100% American made.

You really like opposing arguments that nobody made don’t you? I’ve seen the pattern.

Interesting hobby.
Pablo

Why don’t you tell us what exactly we’re seeing that is the result of US policy, Dan?
Pablo

BFD said:
Coming this fall to FOX:

“When Muslims Attack!”

Oh, is there another Nidal Hassan lurking out there?
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

Hopefully the situation in Cairo can be used to tell some of the stories about press freedoms and the dangers journalists face, so that something else good may come from this effort.

As for the whatever of the situation… Al Jazeera has had the police raid their offices and their reporters have been incognito for days. Ben Wedeman, the CNN reporter based in Cairo and who has reported on the region since the mid-90s had faced some problems, so if the name anchors weren’t expecting some of their own, it would show a degree of naIvete.

Of course, I’m sure Anderson can deal with it, as can Mr. Wedeman and Ms Gorani — who apparently aren’t worth naming in the post. I haven’t yet seen Brian Williams’ or Katie Couric’s plans, I kind of hope they don’t turntail and run because if nothing else, every day that these reporters are inconvenienced or in danger is another chance to underscore the need for a free press.

Oh, and like the three CNNers, I assume Christiane is also in it for the long haul.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

PS) Perhaps that’s one of the differences between reporters and anchors…

I don’t doubt that the three shown on the couch will be in-country for a while. There may be some question about Anderson because he’s on the threshold between the two, as is Ms. Amanpour, whom I also expect to stick around. The real question are the real anchors, what exactly are they going to do?
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

Uh… the “exactly” in my “what are the real anchor going to do” question is unnecessary and seems to be somewhat dismissive, which was not my intent. Again, I expect the reporters to stay in place, but the anchors no longer serve primarily as reporters and though they have the brighter lights to shine on press freedom, there’s also a limitation to what they can do.
libra blue

I watched 360 & Maddow last night. I don’t know how far apart their locations were, but why were Brian Williams and Richard Engel standing in front of a window with live rounds going off in the background while Anderson Cooper and his crew were barricaded up in a hotel room and told to hide behind closed doors?

Has CNN received direct threats against Anderson or is it just that NBC believes that Williams and Engel are “expendable”?

Also, why isn’t CNN talking about the unrest in Suez City? Engel mentioned the trouble there last night.
http://www.facebook.com/JoelShoemaker Joel Shoemaker

Just stunning coverage. For me this was Anderson’s “Bernard Shaw/First Gulf War” moment.
Grammie

Joel Shoemaker said:
Just stunning coverage. For me this was Anderson’s “Bernard Shaw/First Gulf War” moment.

.
I can’t decide whether you are serious or satirical?
Nobodys_Stooge

Pablo said:
Do you know who Greg Palkot, Ashley Williams and Leland Vittert are? Do you know who they work for? Do you know where they are? Hint: They’re Fox News correspondents on the ground in Cairo. I so love you Fox News experts who can’t get the most basic facts about Fox News right. It seems that if you didn’t hear about it on MSLSD (The network about news networks) it couldn’t be happening on Fox News. If you’re so obsessed with Fox News, why don’t you try watching it, so that you don’t make these idiotic, easily avoidable mistakes?

Pablo…chill out homes. Didn’t mean to pee on your cornflakes esse.