In one of the most scathing editorials from a broadsheet on Eason's Fables so far, the Washington Times called CNN's silence on Eason Jordan's Davos commentary unacceptable. The Times calls for CNN to demand the release of the forum's videotape and stop stonewalling:

There's also the unfortunate fact that Mr. Jordan has already changed his story. Initially, he said he was taken out of context. But when several accounts of his comments, including Mr. Frank's, suggested otherwise, Mr. Jordan said he hadn't been clear and that his subsequent retreat was in fact a clarification. As blogger Jim Geraghty has observed, these conflicting accounts suggest that someone here is being untruthful. Without a transcript of the discussion, it's a matter of "he said, she said." There is a video, however, which the World Economic Forum has refused to release. It's interesting to note, then, who's calling for the video's release: among others, Rony Abovitz, an eyewitness to the discussion whose account differs markedly from Mr. Jordan's. CNN and Mr. Jordan have not.

Is CNN stonewalling and if so, why? It's hard to believe that if CNN — and not just bloggers — demanded the video's release, the folks at the World Economic Forum wouldn't do so immediately.

The Times also criticizes the mediocre to nonexistent media coverage of Eason's Fables, naming especially the Howard Kurtz and Bret Stephens pieces as just a handy way to kill the story. Both writers took on face value Jordan's claims that he had backed off his statements when he realized he'd been misunderstood, but that doesn't square with the other eyewitnesses who have come forward, notably liberal politicians Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd, both New England Democrats.

The only way to resolve this dispute is for CNN to press the World Economic Forum to release the videotape for public distribution for the world to see and judge Jordan's comments in context. Their failure to do so demonstrates far better than their silence the newsworthiness of Eason's Fables. (via Easongate)

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Tracked on February 11, 2005 8:30 PM