Broadcast News
Back in the days when I checked on TV my two favorite correspondents were Anne Garrels and Christiane Amanpour. Anne was a correspondent in Moscow in the 1980s and was so successful at reporting that the Soviets threw her out. These days she works for NPR and covers Iraq. Christiane covers wars and disasters. It’s not a major conflict until she show ups, as when she starting reporting from New Orleans after Katrina.
They both win awards, but don’t seem to get the respect they deserve. It’s not that they are always right, but when they make mistakes, they admit it.
I was more than a little annoyed when I read CNN’s coverage of the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Their article was titled: Queen knights fatwa author Rushdie. It is true that Salman Rushie was knighted, but Christiane Amanpour was made a Commander of the British Empire and she works for CNN. Where’s the pride of the institution?
These ladies make their employers worth listening to, add credibility to their news gathering, bring in multiple journalism awards and media prizes. Where is the recognition of their worth?
4 comments
Chritisane Amanpour is not well known here. CNN International isn’t well watched here (why watch it when we have the BBC which for all its faults is still the biggest and most comprehensive TV and radio news provider). I am pleased she has been honoured although the homours system does irritate me. Most of the the honours go to civil servants for time served and not for particularly distinguished service. I am a civil servant myself with no realistic prospect of an honour – something which doesn’t bother me in the slightest!
Would it be rude of me to suggest that it’s because they are women? Possibly it is, but I suggest it, nonetheless. Referring to the general lack of respect, that is. I’m not as familiar with Anne Garrels, but I agree with you on Christiane Amanpour.
I tried to do some internet research on the British “honours system” last night, so that I could reply cogently to this post. What a convoluted, and apparently misused, system. I give up on that one.
Jams, her sister and husband both work in British broadcasting, her sister at Channel 4, and her husband for Sky TV. What is a bit puzzling is that she is not exactly a fan of Blair or Bush and makes no effort to hide it.
Of course a big problem is that senior civil servants get to put forward names, and they would tend to include their mates from school.
Hipparchia, if you had watched Russia, you would know Anne and Hedrick Smith of the NY Times. Anne was also one of the few Western reporters in Baghdad when we invaded. She’s in Baghdad now reporting for NPR.
I’ve always been a Middle East watcher myself, with some interest in China, Mongolia, and the various —istans. Betwen Chernobyl and the fact that Siberia is C-O-L-D, I’d never thought of Russia as a very attractive place.
But speaking of Russia, I’d be interested in your take on syd’s off-topic comment at my holy simoleons post, should you care to weigh in.