liar CNN

[SecondBoy]

TEHRAN, Jan. 16--The US-based Cable News Network’s (CNN) office in Tehran has been closed down, the Culture Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The statement, a copy of which was sent to IRNA, read, “Given the unprofessional approach of the CNN’s Tehran office in recent years and in view of its distortion of the president’s remarks on Saturday, the CNN’s Tehran office will be closed until further notice.“
The statement added that CNN correspondents cannot travel to Iran until further notice.
“A revision of this decision will depend on the professional performance of CNN in terms of its coverage of Iranian developments and news,“ it said.

During CNN’s live translation of a press conference by Ahmadinejad on Saturday, the president was quoted as saying that “we believe all nations are allowed to have nuclear weapons“ and that the West should not “deprive us of nuclear weapons“.
The president had, however, used the Persian word that meant ’technology’ and not ’weapons’.

 

[Bishka]

TEHRAN, Jan. 16--The US-based Cable News Network’s (CNN) office in Tehran has been closed down, the Culture Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The statement, a copy of which was sent to IRNA, read, “Given the unprofessional approach of the CNN’s Tehran office in recent years and in view of its distortion of the president’s remarks on Saturday, the CNN’s Tehran office will be closed until further notice.“
The statement added that CNN correspondents cannot travel to Iran until further notice.
“A revision of this decision will depend on the professional performance of CNN in terms of its coverage of Iranian developments and news,“ it said.

During CNN’s live translation of a press conference by Ahmadinejad on Saturday, the president was quoted as saying that “we believe all nations are allowed to have nuclear weapons“ and that the West should not “deprive us of nuclear weapons“.
The president had, however, used the Persian word that meant ’technology’ and not ’weapons’.

I think it may have been an honest mistake. Really, a person may have mixed up the words.

 

[Yerda]

Hooray for press freedom.

 

[ChrisP]

Hooray for people prepared to stand up to the media.

 

[TashaN]

I think it may have been an honest mistake. Really, a person may have mixed up the words.

is it JUST a mistake to deliver a fake and so dangerous information to millions of people around the world?

 

[ChrisP]

is it JUST a mistake to deliver a fake and so dangerous information to millions of people around the world?

Exactly.

 

[Ardent Listener]

TEHRAN, Jan. 16--The US-based Cable News Network’s (CNN) office in Tehran has been closed down, the Culture Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The statement, a copy of which was sent to IRNA, read, “Given the unprofessional approach of the CNN’s Tehran office in recent years and in view of its distortion of the president’s remarks on Saturday, the CNN’s Tehran office will be closed until further notice.“
The statement added that CNN correspondents cannot travel to Iran until further notice.
“A revision of this decision will depend on the professional performance of CNN in terms of its coverage of Iranian developments and news,“ it said.

During CNN’s live translation of a press conference by Ahmadinejad on Saturday, the president was quoted as saying that “we believe all nations are allowed to have nuclear weapons“ and that the West should not “deprive us of nuclear weapons“.
The president had, however, used the Persian word that meant ’technology’ and not ’weapons’.

Liar CNN or is it more like imcompetent CNN?

 

[Jaymes]

From what I undestand it was a mistranslation. Let's see a show of hands from all those in the room that speak another language and know how easy it is to do that...

I don't know how alike 'weapon' and 'technology' sound in Persian, though. If someone knows the language, maybe they could comment on it?

 

[jonny]

From what I undestand it was a mistranslation. Let's see a show of hands from all those in the room that speak another language and know how easy it is to do that...

I don't know how alike 'weapon' and 'technology' sound in Persian, though. If someone knows the language, maybe they could comment on it?

I would have to know how close the words are to each other before deciding whether or not it was a mistranslation. I misunderstood a lot of things while in Germany, but the words usually sounded somewhat similar.

 

[Ardent Listener]

Sorry, but CNN's job is to report the news correctly, not to spark WWIII. If they can't do it right, they should get out of the news business.

 

[Green Gaia]

What if they did report it correctly and all this is to cover up what was really said? I don't know that's what happened... I'm into conspiracy mode this morning.

 

[jeffrey]

I'd be curious to hear CNN's side, if they issued an apology or stand behind their story. For all we know, CNN reported the story correctly, but Iran decided to change the wording AFTER the fact. Doubtful, but possible. Remember, FOX news reported the Pope's death and minutes later retracted it.

 

[jeffrey]

According to CNN, they hired a translator. He mis-translated the info. I also read they will be reinstated.

 

[Smoke]

I think it may have been an honest mistake. Really, a person may have mixed up the words.

Maybe so, but that kind of incompetence gets people killed.

 

[Smoke]

According to CNN, they hired a translator. He mis-translated the info. I also read they will be reinstated.

I guess it's too much to ask that CNN might have a reporter who is competent in both Persian and English. I mean, it's basically a little mom-and-pop operation, not a huge division of the world's largest media corporation, right?

Since they were only banned for one day, the "ban" was an effective way to call attention to the error and extract an apology from CNN; overall, a resounding success.

 

[Jaymes]

I guess it's too much to ask that CNN might have a reporter who is competent in both Persian and English.

You can be competent and still make mistakes. But we all know no other news stations have misspoken ever.

 

[BUDDY]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/17/iran.cnn/index.html

In a written statement, CNN said it "apologized on all its platforms which included the translation error, including CNN International, CNN/USA and CNN.com, and also expressed its regrets to the Iranian government and the Iranian ambassador to the U.N."

But the Iranian government, in the IRNA report, said it took a punitive measure against CNN, invalidating press cards of CNN journalists in Tehran.

CNN, in its statement, said, "CNN is very disappointed that this action has been taken."

I don't like this at all. When a governement has this kind of power over the press, regardless of whether there was a mistake in translation, they undermine the right of the press to report the truth. I don't like CNN, because of what I see as a spin that they put on things sometimes, but I think that ny bowing to the will of this government and giving in so quickly, they have done a diservice to themselves and other news agencies. I would have rather enjoyed them sticking tot heir guns a little bit on this issue.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

Sorry, but CNN's job is to report the news correctly, not to spark WWIII. If they can't do it right, they should get out of the news business.

I think this is a bit harsh. As Jensa pointed out, other news outlets have made mistakes before. CNN wasn't the first, and will not be the last, and IMHO, to suggest they go out of business for one mistake is a bit irrational. Now, if someone has evidence that CNN's translator intentionally used 'weapon' instead of 'technology' to incite the Iranians, this would be the time to present it.

Speaking of sparking WWIII...I remember a story from the JFK era in which Kennedy was telling Nikita Kruschev not to 'miscalculate' American resolve in stopping the worldwide spread of communism. Kruschev's face flushed red with anger everytime JFK said that because the translator was using a word that apparently meant 'unable to count'. I don't know what happened to that translator, but I believe his was an honest mistake as was that by the CNN translator.

 

[Bishka]

You can be competent and still make mistakes. But we all know no other news stations have misspoken ever.

Exactly. It's hard to learn and translate a foreign language. You try doing without ever making a mistake. Yes, they made a mistake. Now, I think we should be mad or irritated if they don't retract that statement, but it's an honest mistake, it's not like we've never made mistakes before.

 

[Jyothi]

Another one incident that took my trust off CNN

9-11. after the attack on the twin towers, CNN showed footage of celebrations in the middle east - especially palestine and iraq

most of the celebrations aired, werent even palestine - some of it was pakistan and the celebration of the birth anniversary of a Sufi Saint. almost all the footage was shot at different times and did not correspond to the date.

it was a shameful act to say the least.