Mediacrity has a report on CNN’s Nic Robertson, who played the dupe for Hezbollah on CNN last night:
The president of the fan club is, of course, CNN’s Nic Robertson, who last night ran an “exclusive” report from south Beirut, his Hezbollah handler practically holding hands with him, describing how the bad, bad Israelis are targeting nothing but civilians. […]
Well, needless to say, Hezbollah wouldn’t say something that wasn’t true? The print version of this CNN-Hezbollah joint propaganda effort put it this way:Hezbollah officials gave CNN access into the southern suburbs of Beirut — the area thought to house the organization’s headquarters — to show the damage inflicted on civilians there. They also wanted to show they do not house military stockpiles there, CNN’s Nic Robertson reported. Robertson said he could not confirm the group’s assertions about what was housed in the area.
The broadcast itself left out the last sentence, at least in the version that was broadcast last night. In fact, he seemed to confirm what his handler was telling him, noting that the detritis strewn about was all “civilian” — as if Hezbollah would take this idiot directly to its weapons dumps for all the world to see.
It’s a move right out of Eason Jordan’s old playbook: access in exchange for unquestioning coverage.
UPDATE: Rich Noyes has the video.