Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) CNN's Amanpour: reporter or propagandist?

CNN's Amanpour: reporter or propagandist?
John West - Opinion
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:45:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - Regarding President Mugabe's CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour, our fears were confirmed! Amanpour sang too much for her supper. But then again, she has to. Just look at who owns CNN and it explains itself.

Also, just as many feared, Amanpour regurgitated all the misinformation about President Mugabe and the land issue and other substantive Zimbabwean concerns, showing little inclination to do a meaningful and objective interview with this warrior and lawyer.

Unless I missed something, I do not recall a question about the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979 which is one of the key agreements underpinning the land question in Zimbabwe. Wouldn't anyone expect a so-called reporter to cover so important a matter in the name of objective reporting?

It is interesting also to note that by comparison, the African American did not become a citizen of the United States based on birth but by the advice and consent of the United States Congress. The 14th Amendment, enacted in 1868, provided that citizenship. So there is the question then whether being born in Zimbabwe one is automatically Zimbabwean. Would we argue that missionaries born on Chinese soil are Chinese? Certainly not.

Overall, the interview with so scholarly a warrior would have been better staged on public broadcasting with someone of the stature of Gwen Ifill doing the interviewing.

The Amanpour interview just didn't cover the ground the substantive issue of land reform demands! She's less of a reporter and more a propagandist.

Labels: CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN, JOURNALISM

posted by MrK @ 4:19 PM