“CNN: See no evil,” Bruce Bawer writes at the Tatler, February 2nd 6:37 AM PST:
Just saw Jeanne Moos do one of her whimsical, feel-good little reports on CNN. This one was about the signs at a pro-Mubarak rally. In a tone that invited us to find the whole business charming, endearing, and amusing, she drew our attention to misspelled homemade signs and to signs being held by small children (or, in one case, hung around the neck of a pet cat). One of the signs depicted in tight close-up in the report featured a picture of Mubarak, and viewers paying close attention would have noticed the Star of David scrawled on his forehead. But of course if Moos had pointed out to that nasty little detail, she’d have failed in her effort to give viewers a warm, cozy feeling about the demo and its participants. So in good CNN fashion, she pretended it wasn’t there.
“Anderson Cooper Attacked by Mob in Egypt,” The Hollywood Reporter notes about an hour and half later, assuming they’re also on Pacific time:
Anderson Cooper was attacked in Egypt Wednesday.
CNN producer Steve Brusk Tweeted, “Anderson said he was punched 10 times in the head as pro-Mubarak mob surrounded him and his crew trying to cover demonstration.”
Cooper then escaped to the roof of a nearby building, where he said on air that he and his crew were trying to get to a neutral zone between protestors and pro-Mubarak supporters when they “were set upon by pro-Mubarak supporters punching us in the head. The crowd kept growing, kept throwing punches, kicks…suddenly a young man would look at you and punch you in the face.”
Cooper told CNN’s live blog that the attackers “pushed and shoved the CNN crew and punched them in the head… but no one was seriously hurt.”
Not to be outdone, former CNN stalwart Christiane Amanpour was also attacked in Egypt.
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