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NOW.
>> GOOD MORNING.
AN WELCOME TO WASHINGTON.
I'M BRIAN STELTER.
TODAY ON "RELIABLE SOURCES" I'VE
INVITED SOME OF THE BEST MEDIA
EXPERTS I KNOW TO EXAMINE THE
CONTINUING COVERAGE OF MALAYSIA
AIR FLIGHT 370.
I'M EAGER TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK
TOO.
THIS HAS BEEN A STORY UNLIKE ANY
OTHER.
FRIGHTENING, RIVETING,
HEARTWRENCHING AND BAFFLING AND
THERE'S STILL NO ENDING IN
SIGHT.
BUT UP FIRST, CNN.
HAS BEEN COVERING THE MISSING
MALAYSIAN AIRPLANE AROUND THE
CLOCK, THAT'S NO NEWS TO MOST OF
YOU WATCHING AT HOME, AND THE
COVERAGE HAS BROUGHT THIS
NETWORK LOTS OF PRAISE, LOTS OF
VIEWERS, BUT THUMB'S DOWN FROM
SOME MEDIA WATCHERS.
ONE OF THE HARSHEST CRITIC HAS
BEEN THE KING OF CABLE NEWS,
BILL O'REILLY, WHO SEEMS TO HATE
THE WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE.
WATCH THIS.
>> I -- WHEN I'M WATCHING THIS
I'M LIKE THROWING -- I'M UPSET
ABOUT IT.
I KNOW I'M OLD SCHOOL, BUT I
KNOW IT'S RATINGS.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S RATINGS, PEOPLE
WANT TO WATCH THE MYSTERY, BUT
IT'S NOW CORRUPTING THE NEWS
BUSINESS, I THINK.
>> ON THE BRIGHT SIDE FOR MR.
O'REILLY, THOUGH, THIS HAS GIVEN
HIM OPPORTUNITIES TO MOCK CNN
FOR ITS ROLE IN LEADING THE
COVERAGE.
>> ENTER THE LUNASY.
SINGER COURTNEY LOVE TWEETED TO
HER 300,000 FOLLOWERS SHE'S
DISCOVERED THE JET.
SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.
THERE IS NO TRUTH TO THE RUMOR
THAT CNN IMMEDIATELY HIRED MISS
LOVE TO ANCHOR ONE OF ITS
BROADCASTS.
TO SAY THIS WHOLE MEDIA
SITUATION IS OUT OF CONTROL, IS
THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE
CENTURY.
>> OF THE CENTURY.
I HOPE O'REILLY DIDN'T BUMP INTO
HIS COLLEAGUES MEGAN OR SEAN IN
THE HALLS OF FOX LAST WEEK.
EVERY NIGHT AFTER HE COMPLAINED
ABOUT CRAZY THEORIES AND
OVERCOVERAGE, THEY DID EXACTLY
WHAT THEY CRITICIZED.
BROUGHT ON RETIRED GENERAL TOM
McINERNEY WHO OFFERED SOME SORT
OF EVIDENCE, I USE THAT WORD
LOOSELY, THE PLANE WAS HIJACKED
BY TERRORISTS AND LANDED IN
PAKISTAN.
>> I SUSPECT WE MAY IN THE NEXT
24 TO 48 HOURS, START HEARING
FROM EITHER THE MALAYSIAN OR
PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT.
IF THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT
DOESN'T TALK SOON THEY'RE GOING
TO BE COMPLICIT IN THIS.
>> FOR THIS PLANE IF IT WOULD
HAVE LANDED IN PAKISTAN,
PAKISTANIS WOULD HAVE HAD TO
KNOW THAT?
>> YES.
>> AT THIS POINT YOU SAID THAT
THE PAKISTANIS IF THEY DON'T
SPEAK UP SOON THEY WOULD BE
COMPLICIT.
I WOULD ARGUE THEY'RE COMPLICIT
NOW NOT SHARING THEIR
INFORMATION INTELLIGENCE ABOUT
THIS WITH THE WORLD.
IS THAT A FAIR OBSERVATION?
>> I THINK THAT'S A FAIR
OBSERVATION.
>> BEFORE YOU ASK YOURSELF,
COULD THAT POSSIBLY BE TRUE?
ONE NIGHT LATER McINNERRY THREW
IRAN IN THE MIX TOO.
SEEMED A LITTLE LIKE A WAR
WITHIN FOX.
GRETA KIND OF SOUNDING LIKE SHE
WAS ROOTING FOR CNN.
WATCH.
>> SO I'LL GO OFF THE RECORD FOR
JUST A MINUTE AND THIS OFF THE
RECORD DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU
VIEWERS.
THAT'S IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE THIS MESSAGE IS ONLY TO
THOSE HAND WRINGERS GOING ON TV
OR WRITING COLUMNS TO CRITICIZE
OR ANNOUNCE SOME PERSONAL UPSET
ABOUT THE EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF
FLIGHT 370.
THEY NEED TO GET OVER IT.
HAVE THEY FORGOTTEN THAT 239
PEOPLE ARE MISSING OR MAYBE MURD
ERED 239?
>> WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THEY
SHOW THE SPLIT, THAT DOES EXIST
IN THE MEDIA ABOUT HOW AND HOW
MUCH THE MISSING PLANE SHOULD BE
COVERED.
SO LET'S BRING IN A MEDIA CRITIC
PROBABLY WATCHED MORE OF THIS
COVERAGE THAN ANYBODY, ERIC OF
"THE WASHINGTON POST."
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
>> IN ONE OF YOUR BLOG POST YOU
SAID YOU WATCHED 50 HOURS OF
THIS PLANE COVERAGE.
HOW MANY ARE YOU UP TO NOW?
>> BETWEEN 60 AND 70 HOURS.
I'M CHECKING OUT PRETTY
REGULARLY.
FULL DISCLOSURE I HAVE BEEN A
REGULAR CNN WATCHER HERE.
>> AND WE WERE PLAYING ALL THOSE
CLIPS FROM FOX AND I FIND THEM
INTERESTING BECAUSE IN THESE
CLIPS YOU CAN SEE A SORT OF
EDITORIAL DEBATE GOING BACK AND
FORTH AT FOX IN A WAY YOU
HAVEN'T SEEN ON ANY OTHER
CHANNELS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF BILL O'REIL
SPEAKING THE WAY HE DID, IS HE
JUST LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO --
>> I THINK HE'S NERVOUS HE LOST
IN THE DEMO THE YOUNGER
VIEWERSHIP THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW
LAST WEEK AND HE STARTED GETTING
NERVOUS.
>> RIGHT.
HE WINS IN THE RATINGS EVERY
NIGHT PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS.
>> RIGHT.
>> TO LOSE EVEN ONE NIGHT WAS A
BIG DEAL.
>> AND THEN HE LOST THREE NIGHTS
IN A ROW AND IT MUST BE A
TERRIBLE THING TO OVER COVER
SOMETHING LIKE THIS BECAUSE IF
YOU'RE BEATING BILL O'REILLY
YOU'RE WRONG.
THE OTHER NETS HAVE SEEN HOW CNN
HAS USED THIS TO BOOST ITS
RATINGS WHICH I DON'T FAULT THEM
FOR AT ALL AND THEY'VE TRIED TO
GET IN TO DO A LITTLE MORE.
BUT CNN BY VIRTUE OF BEING
CRITICIZED FOR, YOU KNOW, OH,
WALL-TO-WALL RIDICULOUS COVERAGE
BY VIRTUE OF ALL THAT CRITICISM
MEDIA CRITICS AND SO FORTH,
THAT'S HELPED THEM.
WHENEVER PEOPLE WANT TO GET AN
UPDATE THEY KNOW TO GO TO CNN
BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE
THERE FOR THEM.
I THINK THE CRITICISM HAS DONE A
TREMENDOUS SERVICE TO CNN.
>> WE HEARD BILL O'REILLY SAYING
OVERCOVERAGE OF A STORY LIKE
THIS CORRUPTS THE NEWS BUSINESS.
>> THAT'S NONSENSE.
>> NO NO.
>> OVER COVERAGE GETS A BAD
WRAP.
ON SOME OF THE SITES AND
CRITICS, OVER COVERAGE AS IF
SIMPLY GOING HEAVY ON A STORY IS
A SIN IN ITSELF.
NOW, THINK ABOUT NEWSPAPER
COLUMNISTS OR, YOU KNOW, ANY
PRINT REPORTER.
WHEN THEY STAY ON A STORY, THEY
GET AWARDS AND THE AWARDS ALWAYS
SAY, STICK TO IT.
ON THE STORY, NEVER LET GO OF
THE STORY.
THE MOMENT A TV NETWORK DOES THE
NONSTOP COVERAGE, THEY'RE A
SOURCE OF DERISION.
HOW IS THAT?
I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO STOP
RECRITICIZING OVERCOVERAGE OR
NONSTOP COVERAGE.
I LIKE IT.
WHEN NEWS ORGANIZATIONS MAKE
STRONG DECISIONS TO GO HEAVY ON
SOMETHING AND PUT RESOURCES
BEHIND IT OFTEN TIMES VERY GOOD
THINGS HAPPEN.
THEY BREAK NEWS.
MAYBE THAT WON'T BE THE CASE
HERE BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A HARD
THING TO SOLVE BUT I LIKE OVER
COVERAGE, WHEN NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS OBSESS OVER
SOMETHING.
>> I THINK WE'VE SEEN BIG
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CABLE NEWS
CHANNELS.
WE HAVE A SEEN CNN GO HEAVY ON
THE PLANE, WE SAW FOX PICK UP ON
THE STORY BUT AVOID IT FOR A
WHILE, MSNBC HAS BEEN ALSO ON
THIS STORY IN THE RATINGS.
MAYBE WE ARE SEEING MORE CLEARLY
THAN EVER HOW DIFFERENT THESE
CABLE NEWS CHANCE ARE.
>> OH.
>> AND THAT'S A GOOD THING
PERHAPS.
>> THAT IS A GOOD THING.
MY POINT HERE IS THAT JEFF
ZUCKER DOESN'T GO ALL-OUT --
>> FOR CNN.
>> CNN WORLDWIDE.
>> IF HE DOESN'T GO ALL-OUT ON
THIS STORY HE SHOULD BE FIRED
BECAUSE CNN IS PERFECTLY
POSITIONED TO DO THIS STORY.
IT BRANDS ITSELF AS A WAY UP THE
MIDDLE OF THIS IDEOLOGICAL CABLE
DIVIDE.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE
UNIDEOLOGICAL ON THIS STORY, AT
LEAST THE WAY IT LOOKS NOW, THAN
A MISSING AIRLINE.
I MEAN THERE IS NOTHING MORE
NONIDEOLOGICAL.
THAT'S ONE CNN.
TWO, IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL
STORY.
CNN IS WAY MORE SUITED TO CARRY
OUT THIS STORY THAN ITS OTHER --
INVESTS OVERSEAS, BUREAUS
EVERYWHERE.
I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MUSCLE,
IT HAS TO DO THIS.
IF IT DOESN'T DO THIS, IT, YOU
KNOW, YOUR LEADERSHIP SHOULD BE
FIRED.
AND MARCHED OUT OF THEIR
OFFICES.
IT HAS TO DO THIS FOR SURVIVAL,
FOR ITS FUTURE.
THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION.
>> CNN HAS HAD SOME OFF MOMENTS
IN THE COVERAGE.
I WANT TO PLAY A CLIP FROM DON
LEMON FROM LAST WEEKEND AND
REACT TO IT.
>> I'VE BEEN GETTING QUESTIONS
FROM VIEWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA,
THROUGH E-MAIL AND EVEN ON THE
STREETS, ESPECIALLY TODAY, ON A
DAY WHEN WE DEAL WITH THE SUPER
NATURAL, WHEN WE GO TO CHURCH,
THE SUPER NATURAL POWER OF GOD,
YOU DEAL WITH ALL OF
THAT, PEOPLE ARE SAYING TO ME,
WHY AREN'T YOU TALKING ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY, I'M JUST PUTTING IT
OUT THERE, THAT SOMETHING ODD
HAPPENED TO THIS PLANE,
SOMETHING BEYOND OUR
UNDERSTANDING.
>> THIS CLIP THEN GOT PICKED UP
AND SPREAD WIDELY ON-LINE.
ONE OF THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF
"RELIABLE SOURCES" WE GET TO
REVIEW CNN'S COVERAGE.
HOW DID YOU REACT TO THAT CLIP
AND THINGS YOU'VE SEEN.
>> THAT'S PURE IDIOCY.
THAT NEEDS TO BE AND DESERVES TO
BE CONDEMNED.
I MEAN BECAUSE --
>> YOU DON'T THINK THERE'S A WAY
TO BRING UP GOD ON A SUNDAY
EVENING LIKE THAT.
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> I WOULD BE AGAINST IT.
I WOULD -- CNN AFTER ALL, YOU
KNOW, TALKS ABOUT ITS REPORTING,
HAS, YOU KNOW, BUREAUS AND
REPORTERS AND PRODUCERS AND IT'S
GOT ALL THIS MUSCLE TO REPORT
AND THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
GOD WHILE THIS STILL IS VERY
MUCH AN ONGOING THING.
I DON'T THINK SO.
AND I THINK THAT THE DERISION
OVER THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, IT
GIVES THE CRITICS A FOOTHOLD
WHEN, IN FACT, I DO BELIEVE
HAVING WATCHED MOUNTAINS OF CNN
COVERAGE, THAT THERE'S BEEN A
LOT OF VERY GOOD, SOLID,
EXPLANATORY STUFF.
I LIKE MARTIN SAVIDGE UP THERE
IN ONTARIO IN THAT FLIGHT
SIMULATOR TALKING ABOUT LIKE
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE AND IT
GIVES YOU SORT OF A SENSE OF
WHAT MIGHT HAVE GONE ON.
IT'S AS CLOSE TO LIKE SORT OF
LIKE RESPONSIBLE SPECULATION AS
I THINK THAT YOU CAN GET.
AND ON THE SPECULATION THING
TOO, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IF YOU
WATCH -- READ THE COVERAGE TOO
LIKE "THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL" STORY, HAD HIS STORY
ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO,
TALKING ABOUT HOW THE PLANE
COULD HAVE GONE ON, HE HAS
PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT HOW
INVESTIGATORS ARE GOING OVER
VARIOUS SCENARIOS AND IT BECAME
VERY CLEAR THAT INVESTIGATORS
SPECULATE AS WELL.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE OFFICIALS