CNN Tells Journalists to Be Kind to Castro
Yes, that Castro. The Natural Truth had earlier reported on it, and now Babalu Blog has the full email.
From: Flexner, Allison
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 7:46 AM
To: *CNN Superdesk (TBS)
Cc: Neill, Morgan; Darlington, Shasta
Subject: Castro guidanceSome points on Castro – for adding to our anchor reads/reporting:
* Please say in our reporting that Castro stepped down in a letter he wrote to Granma (the communist party daily), as opposed to in a letter attributed to Fidel Castro. We have no reason to doubt he wrote his resignation letter, he has penned numerous articles over the past year and a half.
* Please note Fidel did bring social reforms to Cuba – namely free education and universal health care, and racial integration. in addition to being criticized for oppressing human rights and freedom of speech.
* Also the Cuban government blames a lot of Cuba’s economic problems on the US embargo, and while that has caused some difficulties, (far less so than the collapse of the Soviet Union) the bulk of Cuba’s economic problems are due to Cuba’s failed economic polices. Some analysts would say the US embargo was a benefit to Castro politically – something to blame problems on, by what the Cubans call “the imperialist,” meddling in their affairs.
* While despised by some, he is seen as a revolutionary hero, especially with leftist in Latin America, for standing up to the United States.
Any questions, please call the international desk.
Allison
Allison Flexner is, as confirmed by a Google search, a producer for CNN. She’s covered Cuban events before, and has been seen elsewhere at CNN. Here’s a profile at Spoke, which confirms Flexner’s employment at CNN in Atlanta.
Wouldn’t want to portray a dictator in a negative ligh, now would we?
February 20th, 2008 at 7:51 am
What Liberal Media? This Liberal Media, Right Here!…
Yes, I’m alive. And feeling oddly productive.
In any event…
CNN has issued a memo requiring reporters talk about all the “good” things Castro has done. Wake me when they begin a retrospective on Hitler with a discussion of how the German eco…
February 20th, 2008 at 8:23 am
CNN - Castro New Network
CNN - Communist News Network
CNN - Certainly Not News
The list goes on and on…
February 20th, 2008 at 11:06 am
CNN= Communist News Network.
Too bad no one has the nads to actually take them to task for this crap..
February 20th, 2008 at 11:14 am
[...] fark.com comes an I-can’t-believe-she-wrote-this memo telling journalists to be nice to Castro. One particularly delicious passage: Please note Fidel [...]
February 20th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Did you morons even read the letter?
“in addition to being criticized for oppressing human rights and freedom of speech”
“the bulk of Cuba’s economic problems are due to Cuba’s failed economic polices”
Nowhere does the letter say to be kind to Castro, or that he was a great leader or that communism is a good idea. It only points out that he didn’t screw up EVERYTHING.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:41 am
It seems to me this memo is pretty balanced. You would have to be ignorant not to see that they would like a comprehensive approach to dealing with Castro, and not just push the American hardline view. Why would anyone have a problem with that?
February 20th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
“Why would anyone have a problem with that?”
Uh, because he’s a dictator who has oppressed his people and imprisoned dissenters for the past 49 years?
February 20th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Uh, how about him giving free health care to his people. The only reason that americans are pissed at him is because he kicked you out of his peoples country. Americans had an economic stranglehold on Cuba’s economy, and Fidel took initiative.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Really? That’s the only reason we’re pissed at Cuba? Not the fact that he jails political dissenters, continuously violates human rights, and hangs out with our enemies on a normal basis?
February 21st, 2008 at 4:56 am
[...] coverage of Fidel Castro’s resignation? The right-wing blogosphere has been running riot over a memo that was reputedly sent to CNN staffers: From: Flexner, Allison Sent: Tuesday, February 19, [...]