# Was NBC right to fire Peter Arnett? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 31, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431 "2003-03-31T13:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/1 "2003-03-31T13:23:24Z")
NBC and MSNBC on Monday said they had terminated their relationship with Peter Arnett after the journalist told state-run Iraqi TV that the U.S.-led coalition’s initial war plan had failed and that reports from Baghdad about civilian casualties had helped antiwar protesters undermine the Bush administration’s strategy. NBC News President Neal Shapiro said in a statement. > [@](#): > > It was wrong for Mr. Arnett to grant an interview to state controlled Iraqi TV — especially at a time of war — and it was wrong for him to discuss his personal observations and opinions in that interview. Therefore, Peter Arnett will no longer be reporting for NBC News and MSNBC. Some others feel more strongly about his statement – that Arnett was literally helping the enemy. Is there anyone here who wants to defend him? ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/2 "2003-03-31T13:29:01Z")
No. I am not here to defend him! I’m glad they fired the bum. ---
**Author:** ![TVAA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TVAA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVAA)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/3 "2003-03-31T13:31:00Z")
He didn’t tell them anything that couldn’t be deduced from a few hours of watching the American media and “reading between the lines”. Next they’ll claim that speaking the truth lets “the enemy” know too much. . . ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/4 "2003-03-31T13:36:24Z")
I keep hearing a nice phrase; ‘No war plan survives the first encouter with the enemy’ - that’s conventional and accepted wisdom within the UK military (at least). And we hear it every day, presumably that’s shown on one of the three 24/7 Arabic language news stations, as well. Not exactly ‘hold the front page’ material. Just means you have to adjust once it all kicks off because you can’t plan, predict (wargame) and deploy for every eventuality. So, of course, what he said is right, he just seems to have left it hang in the air rather than qualify it. Anyway, I seriously doubt this is about what Neal Shapiro thinks and rather more about the administration threatening to run NBC’s balls through the mincer (‘access denied’). In other words, ‘control’ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/5 "2003-03-31T13:37:36Z")
A stupid and cowadly decision. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/6 "2003-03-31T13:42:44Z")
Someone on talk radio this morning made an interesting point. A couple of the journalists expelled from Iraq are still among the missing. Mr. Arnett did not see fit to mention this during his interview. I don’t think it is under dispute that the Iraqis allowed Mr. Arnett to remain behind because they expect him to say things that they can use, and at least not to raise any embarassing questions about human shields, conscripts being forced into tanks to attack the allied forces at gunpoint, civilian families being forced to carry weapons thru check points, fraudulent surrenders, etc., etc. I found his characterization of the Iraqi system of torture and murder of their citizens as a “government’s requirements of discipline” to be somewhat beyond naive. The line between reporter and Iraqi apologist is not a fine one, and I think he has stepped well over it. Now he can trot off and write a scathing book about how he was silenced by the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. Or get a job writing copy for the Saddam Hussein Baby Food Company (“The Scud Missile of Baby Foods - Buy it, or the kid gets it!”). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Creative\_Munster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Creative\_Munster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creative_Munster)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/7 "2003-03-31T13:48:29Z")
I think the issue is why an American national was speaking to the Iraqi press when our forces are engaged in battle with the Iraqis. The war has only been going on for two weeks now. I think anyone is jumping the gun to predict the results this soon. And as far as the war protestors go, they don’t need any more reasons to bitch. It was poor judgement on his part. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/8 "2003-03-31T13:55:23Z")
NBC/MSNBC/National Geographic did not have a great deal of choice. Their credibility was at stake in retaining a correspondent who could not resist emphasizing his role as an Administration opponent on state-run Iraqi TV in wartime (“Your strategy’s working great, fellas!”). Mr. Arnett is now free to express his views as a citizen, as a “reporter” for less selective news organizations, or in a searing new book (I suspect the desire to create controversy in advance of such a book may have been among his motivations). I had not heard that NBC was “threatened” by the Bush Administration if they did not fire Arnett. No doubt a cite will be forthcoming to back up this claim. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/9 "2003-03-31T13:59:25Z")
Anyone got a link to this story? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TVAA \* > He didn’t tell them anything that couldn’t be deduced from a few hours of watching the American media and “reading between the lines”. That may be so, but _him_ saying it is of propaganda significance. This is not al-Jazeera - a different but legitimate voice - this is giving an interview to be directly used for propaganda purposes by the Iraqi government. _If_ the story is as **december** says it is, it’s an amazing lapse. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/10 "2003-03-31T14:08:20Z")
> [@](#): > > He didn’t tell them anything that couldn’t be deduced from a few hours of watching the American media and “reading between the lines”. > > Next they’ll claim that speaking the truth lets “the enemy” know too much. . . But its not really, true, you know. Arnett was practically sayng that Saddam had already won and in a few more days the US would run away. Which will not happen. Moreover, he may well have just increased the number of Iraqis and US servicemen who will die, just to get a story. The US plan has worked beautifully, resulting in defeat after defeat for Saddam, and the slow elimination of his loyal forces in exchanbge for minor casualties. The press tends to treat any US death as a huge failure, regardless of source. This isn’t Arnett’s frst act of near-treason, either. [http://denbeste.nu/cd\_log\_entries/2003/03/Aidandcomfort.shtml](http://denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/2003/03/Aidandcomfort.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/11 "2003-03-31T14:10:42Z")
Truly, the _contents_ of his comments were no news and he compromised no sensitive information, as any satellite dish in Iraq has picked up that and more over the past few days. Cries of “giving comfort to the enemy” every time anyone says something unflattering are a bit exaggerated. However, if you are asigned as a _“reporter”_ to the scene of the action (as opposed to a commentator/analyst/critic\*), it should be IMO an ethical policy to _NOT become yourself the subject of policy-issue interviews_. It’s also probably company policy – reasonably so – that its stringers should not themselves become sources for another media outlet while on assignment, w/o clearing it with the home office. It may be OK to be in a “let’s look at a day in the life of the foreign press” report, where you gripe about the hotel food and say nice things about the Iraqi common people and show off your newest gear, but you really should say “no thanks” when asked to coment on issues, _even if everyone knows the answer_. OTOH, Arnett has been in that grey area of “reporter-commentator-celebrity” where it’s damned hard to nail down what are the limits of his activities (sort of like a Geraldo Rivera vibe). He is a very good on-the-ground man, but he went outside what NBC wanted, and he has a history of that. NBC are within their rights to terminate his contract BUT should have been aware what they were getting into by putting Arnett in Baghdad. (\* Let’s say, for instance, we had Michael Moore and Ann Coulter in Baghdad [I know, I know, I too would pay money to see that]: They are not “reporters”, but celeb commentator/critics with known advocacies, so IMO they would be fair game for being interviewed and spouting opinions that tick off people in the home front.) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/12 "2003-03-31T14:15:24Z")
> [@](#): > > it’s an amazing lapse. Me, too. That was my reaction: “Wow, that was stupid. Really, really stupid.” Talk about taking a gun, pointing it at your career, and pulling the trigger. I mean, what did he think was going to happen? That all the NBC Suits would call each other up and say happily, “Hey, guys, guess what? Tune in Iraq Channel X! Peter’s on TV!” As for whether firing him was the “right” thing for his bosses to do, as in “proper”, well, you can wave the “journalists have free speech, too” flag all you like, but the fact remains that it was a really stupid thing for him to do, so in that respect–in the respect that NBC probly doesn’t need any more Stupids working for them–yeah, they made the right decision. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/13 "2003-03-31T14:21:41Z")
To clarify: Arnett was ostensibly not “put in Baghdad” by NBC to cover the war, but was already in Iraq on an assignment for a National Geographic show on MSNBC, and just happened to be convenient to the front when things began getting interesting. Still NBC knew well what they were getting into by putting him in the high-visibility spot. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/14 "2003-03-31T14:29:47Z")
What did he say that wasn’t true? I guess this serves as notice that objective reporting on this war will not be tolerated. All reporters are required to break their arms waving Old Glory/ the Union Jack, and they can never, under any circumstances, report that we are having any problems with our slimy little invasion. As for telling the truth to Iraqi TV, so what? Reporters are not supposed to take sides. They asked a question he gave them the answer. he didn’t tell them anything they didn’t already know. It’s not Arnett’s fault that the invasion is failing, blame the incompetence of Rumsfeld and Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/15 "2003-03-31T14:35:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Talk about taking a gun, pointing it at your career, and pulling the trigger. I doubt very much if this will have any negative effect on his career. A couple of us have already mentioned the no doubt forthcoming book, “Truth and Bullets: How I Single-Handedly Stood Up to the Corporate Monolith and Fascist Bush Adminstrations And Told Them The Truth They Didn’t Want to Hear, Showing How Brave and Honest I Am and How Stupid They Are” which will be favorably reviewed by all the usual suspects. Plus he can always get a gig for the anti-Administration spinmeister slot on the Sunday morning talk shows for as long as the Iraqi war lasts. Michael Moore claims he is more in demand now than before his speech at the Oscars. Same will happen for Arnett. Or he could go work for al-Jazeera. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/16 "2003-03-31T14:36:22Z")
He said the US was “delaying the war” for a week. That’s not true. Arnett’s firing is absolutely appropriate. Frankly, his ability to get another journalism job after the Laos sarin gas fiasco amazes me. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/17 "2003-03-31T14:41:44Z")
> [@](#): > > He said the US was “delaying the war” for a week. That’s not true. You mean we haven’t really “paused” in our move to Baghdad. Was that pause expected or planned? There _has_\* been a delay, I don’t see how you can deny that. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/18 "2003-03-31T14:45:27Z")
Yeah, but Shodan, you gotta admit that his career as a standup reporter on a war front is over. Granted, he can always write a book and go on the lecture circuit, and he won’t be on unemployment or flippin’ burgers at McD’s, but still… > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Shodan:_ > \*\*A couple of the journalists expelled from Iraq are still among the missing. Mr. Arnett did not see fit to mention this during his interview. \*\* In that context, then, this is interesting. [http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/030330/72/39kcy.html](http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/030330/72/39kcy.html) > [@](#): > > Arnett, On Iraq TV, Praises Treatment Of Reporters > By Joe Flint Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL > > NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–Veteran television correspondent Peter Arnett, who has been covering the war with Iraq for NBC News through an arrangement with National Geographic Explorer, went on Iraq’s state television network and praised Iraq’s treatment of journalists. > > In a transcript of Arnett’s comments during the interview, he seemed to praise Iraq’s Ministry of Information, saying it has “allowed me and many other reporters to cover 12 whole years since the Gulf War with a degree which we appreciate and that is continuing today.” > > \< snip \> > > After speaking with Arnett, General Electric Co.'s (GE) NBC said in a statement that “Peter Arnett and his crew have risked their lives to bring the American people up-to-date, straight-forward information on what is happening in and around Baghdad.” The network said Arnett’s “impromptu interview with Iraqi TV was done as a professional courtesy and was similar to other interviews he has done with media outlets from around the world. His remarks were analytical in nature and were not intended to be anything more.” > > \< snip \> > > Arnett isn’t employed by NBC but the network struck a deal with National Geographic, whose program “Explorer” airs on MSNBC, for the correspondent to provide war coverage for the network. The official statement. [http://www.msnbc.com/news/893115.asp](http://www.msnbc.com/news/893115.asp) > [@](#): > > NBC initially backed Arnett’s interview. “His impromptu interview with Iraqi TV was done as a professional courtesy and was similar to other interviews he has done with media outlets from around the world,” NBC News spokeswoman Allison Gollust said. “His remarks were analytical in nature and were not intended to be anything more. His outstanding reporting on the war speaks for itself.” So it sounds to me like he got off-topic (“make nice to them about journalists”), got carried away, and started talking about the war. What he actually said, if anybody’s interested, from the MSNBC link. > [@](#): > > In the interview, Arnett said his Iraqi friends had told him that there was a growing sense of nationalism and resistance to what the United States and Britain were doing. > > ``` > He said the United States was reappraising the battlefield and delaying the war, maybe for a week, “and rewriting the war plan. The first war plan has failed because of Iraqi resistance. Now they are trying to write another war plan.” > > ``` > > “Clearly, the American war plans misjudged the determination of the Iraqi forces,” Arnett said during the interview, which was broadcast by Iraq’s satellite television station and monitored by The AP in Egypt. > > ``` > Arnett said it was clear that there was growing opposition to the war within the United States and a growing challenge to President Bush. > > “Our reports about civilian casualties here, about the resistance of the Iraqi forces, are going back to the United States,” he said. “It helps those who oppose the war when you challenge the policy to develop their arguments.” > > ``` Dumb. Just dumb. Diogenes, it’s not a question of “what did he say that wasn’t true”. It’s a question of effrontery, of chutzpah. He’s just a friggin’ reporter, fa cryin out loud, not a spokesperson for the military. It’s not his job to pontificate to one side in a war about the other side’s possible strategy. Picture this–it’s Vietnam, 1970, and Peter Arnett is being interviewed by North Vietnamese TV, and during the interview he shoots off his mouth about U.S. strategy, and mentions how unpopular the war is becoming back home. Fire him? I say, “Yep.” His Iraqi interview amounts to saying to the Iraqis, “Hang in there long enough, guys, and public opinion in the U.S. will make Bush call off the dogs.” I’m amazed that he didn’t bring up Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/19 "2003-03-31T14:51:33Z")
A couple of links: [MSNBC](http://www.msnbc.com/news/893115.asp) and [Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57936-2003Mar31.html) From the latter: > [@](#): > > “I said in that interview essentially what we all know about the war, that there have been delays in implementing policy, there have been surprises,” Arnett told NBC’s “Today” show. > > “But clearly by giving that interview I created a firestorm in the United States and for that I am truly sorry,” […]“My stupid misjudgment was to spend fifteen minutes in an impromptu interview with Iraqi television,” **Diogenes the Cynic** , whatever you think of appropriateness of the invasion, it is hard to disagree with the notion that the Iraqi press is simply the propaganda arm of the Iraqi government. Giving the assessment he did to the Iraqi press _was_ taking sides. It was unfathomably stupid. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431/20 "2003-03-31T15:04:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JRDelirious \* > OTOH, Arnett has been in that grey area of “reporter-commentator-celebrity” where it’s damned hard to nail down what are the limits of his activities (sort of like a Geraldo Rivera vibe). Speaking of Geraldo… I have been quite impressed the discretion of the embedded reporters with regard to operational security. However, CNN just reported that Geraldo who is (was) a FOX embed is now being escorted by the military out of Iraq. Apparently he asked his cameraman to focus on the sand where Geraldo proceded to draw a map in the sand showing his units’ location. :mad: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-nbc-right-to-fire-peter-arnett/165431.md?page=2)