Mr Eason Jordan

Managing Director

CNN 

Atlanta 

28 September 2001 

Dear Mr Jordan

I am a South African journalist based in Cape Town. I am also a graduate of Columbia University in New York and have been deeply affected by the terrible events in that city. I write to you out of professional concern. 

CNN’s stature has taken a serious knock in our country over the past two weeks. I became aware of the extent of this recently and eventually decided that I owe it to my colleagues in the USA to bring to your attention the nature of the switch-off that is happening here. I would not be surprised if the South African response is a microcosm of similar responses in other emerging nations across the world. The prime reason that opinion-makers are switching off and looking for other international networks is that watching CNN is like watching a US national broadcaster. We are not left with a sense that this is an international network giving us international perspectives. We expect to hear fresh voices from across the world at a time like this – we need to hear the great thinkers and opinion-makers of China, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria.

South Africa is outraged by what has happened and has committed itself to fight against terrorism but we most certainly do not support military actions which have over the years been responsible for large-scale political displacement. War and terror is not something new to us. We grew up under apartheid and came to know police brutality and terror. We also lived with the US government’s support for this brutality against us. 

But we are also children of an enlightened leadership who taught us a third way. When we were ready to spill blood, when we were hurt to the point which we thought we could never bear, our leaders responded by channelling the grief into ritual which minimised bloodshed. I remember the assassination of Chris Hani or the coup attempt by the right-wingers before our elections or the bombs which killed people at that time. Despite being taken to the edge of the precipice, we had learnt to keep our minds on the prime objective and that was peace.

We were pulled back again and again and redirected.  We were taught not to fight white people but to fight the system of white supremacy. South Africa’s freedom came not through a miracle but through visionary African leadership and a people who were reasonably politically educated over many years. 

CNN is now viewed as a network which provides for us a very narrow world-view which few of us can relate to. I would love to hear the perspectives of Mahmood Mamdani, Ugandan political expert on Africa based at Columbia at the moment. Middle-Eastern Expert, Edward Said, also at Columbia, is indispensable for expansion. Then there is Gasana Ndoba, head of the Human Rights Commission in Rwanda. And our very own Nelson Mandela. (The CIA alerted the authorities to Mr Mandela’s whereabouts which led to his

arrest).

 I also had the unusual experience of interviewing the progressive editor of Iran’s Daily paper for women, Faezah Hashemi. We need to see her in her chador explaining her views about the present crisis. The world needs to reach a point where we are free enough to see a woman covered in her traditional Islamic cloak who is as  enlightened if not more so than many women in our own countries. We cannot perpetuate ignorance now. Islam is a magnificent religion as are other religions but like all religions, it has its Timothy McVeighs.

CNN’s coverage is unfortunately leading people to reach negative conclusions of the American people as a whole. America is  seen as a nation which is quick to make war, which does not have the leadership to lead the people into a more civilised approach. There must be large numbers of people in the US who views this as millions across the world do: as an opportunity to build world peace, to isolate all those who want to take us into a Third World War, to instead do everything to settle the conflict in the Middle-East which will pull the

carpet from under the feet of those who feel justified in taking these extreme actions. This is not a time for bullying but understanding and clever strategic thinking which draws on the invaluable international experience.

From a strictly commercial and business point of view, crises like these make or break our profession. It can make or break CNN. If CNN rises to the occasion, it can outstrip all as bringing forward the  voice of reason on behalf of all the people of the world. If not, it harms the standing of millions of American people, contributes to division in the world and will not be proud of its pivotal role in preventing a Third World War. The voices which are different and the images which are different must be brought to the center alongside the voices which

predominate. I think you can do it.  I understand that this is a very difficult time. 

I wish you allthe best.

Yours sincerely,

 Zubeida Jaffer 

Judge of the Mondi Excellence in Journalism Award(the premier South African journalism

award launched recently)

  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

CC Walter Isaacson 

Subject: your letter

RESPONSE FROM CNN TO ZUBEIDA’S LETTER

Mr. Jaffer:

Thank you for sharing your concern about CNN's programming during this nightmarish crisis that began September 11.  Your thoughtful comments are helpful.  I am forwarding your letter to CNN International Networks President Chris Cramer.

Sincerely, 

Eason

(P.S TAKE NOTE OF THE WAY IT WAS ADDRESSED TO ZUBEIDA AS ‘MR’)