CHARLIE ROSE interview with ARTHUR SULZBERG of the NEW YORK TIMES
Thu Nov 10 2005 19:13:43 ET
Airing Thursday Night on PBS
EXCERPT #1
CR>> HAS THIS HAS BEEN TOUGH NOT JUST
FOR YOU, BUT FOR THE FAMILY.
AS >> YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO SAY, MY
FAMILY, GOD BLESS MY FAMILY.
THEY ARE A BULLWARK.
THIS PALES BY COMPARISON TO THE
JASON BLAIR, IT'S NOT EVEN ON
THE SAME SCALE.
JASON BLAIR AND THE ISSUES THAT
FLOW FROM THAT, THOSE WERE
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES INVOLVING NOT
JUST A REPORTER, BUT A WHOLE
SERIES IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES."
THAT WAS HARD.
AND MY FAMILY STOOD BY ME LIKE A
BULLWARK.
AND THEY DID THIS TIME, TOO.
WE JUST HAD A FAMILY REUNION.
WE HAVE FAMILY REUNIONS.
AND I WAS DOWN AT CHATTANOOGA
WITH MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY FROM
ALL GENERATIONS, WE ALL SAT DOWN
ONE MORNING IN A RESTAURANT AND
JUST TALKED ABOUT THIS.
CR>> WHAT WAS THAT CONVERSATION
LIKE?
AS>> IT WAS FABULOUS.
THEY WERE CONFUSED AS MOST
PEOPLE ARE BECAUSE IS THIS A
CONFUSING SET OF SCENARIOS.
AND A CONFUSING TIME.
WE FOCUSED FOR ALMOST 40
MINUTES, I'M GOING TO GUESS, BUT
WHO'S COUNTING ON WHAT IS RATHER
A SMALL BORE ISSUE IN THE BIG
SCHEME OF THINGS.
CR>> BUT IT'S NOT A SMALL ISSUE IF
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTERS
AND PEOPLE WHO INHABIT THAT
BUILDING CONSIDER IT A BIG
ISSUE.
IT'S A BIG ISSUE.
AS>> NO, IT'S A BIG ISSUE IF YOUR
READERS LOOSE TRUST AND RESPECT
AND DEVALUE THE JOURNALISM THAT
THEY'RE GETTING.
CR>>IS IT AN ISSUE?
AS>>AND THE ANSWER IS, NO,
EXCERPT #2
AS >> LET'S SEPARATE TWO ELEMENTS
THAT I THINK HAVE BECOME TOO
MUCH ENTANGLED.
THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
COVERAGE WHICH WE RAN THREE OR
FOUR YEARS AGO AND RAN A MAJOR
EDITOR'S NOTE A YEAR AGO.
AND THE VALERIE PLAME CASE.
THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT
ELEMENTS.
THEY BOTH INVOLVE A REPORTER
NAMED JUDY MILLER.
BUT ONE HAD VERY LITTLE TO DO
WITH THE OTHER.
AS<
EXCERPT #3
AS>>AND WE DIDN'T BRING THE DEGREE
OF EDITORIAL SKEPTICISM WE
SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT TO THAT
STORY.
CR>> SKEPTICISM AND SUPERVISION?
AS>> PERHAPS ONE IS REALLY THE
SAME.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT
THOSE STORIES WOULD NOT HAVE RUN
IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" TODAY.
EXCERPT #4
AS>> JUDY IS SEEN THROUGH A HIGHLY
POLITICAL PRISM, IF SHE CAME
BACK TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES" TO
WRITE RESTAURANT REVIEW, I'M
CONVINCED THE FIRST TIME SHE
GAVE A REVIEW OF A RESTAURANT,
SOMEBODY WOULD DECLARE THERE'S A
POLITICAL VIEW BEHIND THAT.
IT SIMPLY MEANT THAT IT WAS
GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO
INTEGRATE HER BACK IN AS A
REPORTER.
EXCERPT #5
CR>>THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION,
WE DEALT WITH THAT ISSUE.
SO SHE REALLY DID RETIRE.
AS>>AS YOU KNOW, WE TALKED EARLIER,
ABOUT BUYOUTS IN THE NEWSROOM,
AND WE HAD THEM.
THERE WAS A BUYOUT PROCESS IN
PLACE THAT JUDY TAPPED INTO.
AND THE TRUTH IS, THIS IS THE
RIGHT TIME.
SHE'S BECOME TOO ENTANGLED WITH
THE STORY.
SHE KNEW IT.
WE KNEW IT.
CR>> WHAT DOES ?TOO ENTANGLED? MEAN?
AS>> I SHOULDN'T HAVE USED THAT
WORD.
EXCERPT #6
AS>>
RIGHT NOW, "THE WASHINGTON
POST," WHICH RAN A WONDERFUL
SERIES OF A WONDERFUL FRONT-PAGE
PIECE TWO OR THREE DAYS AGO
ABOUT CIA CAMPS AROUND THE
WORLD, HIDDEN, SECRET, PRISON
CAMPS THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED,
APPARENTLY, AROUND THE WORLD.
THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO KNOW.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR TO US
UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING THAT.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RUN A
SECRET CAMP IN EASTERN EUROPE?
HOW DO WE TREAT OUR PEOPLE
THERE, THE PRISONERS THERE?
WHAT ARE THEY ACCUSED OF?
HOW LONG ARE THEY GOING TO BE
THERE?
WHAT'S THEIR RIGHT TO A DEFENSE?
ALL OF THESE CORE BELIEFS THAT
WE CONSIDER SO INTEGRAL TO OUR
DEMOCRACY.
AND WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NOW,
I FEAR, IS THAT RATHER THAN THE
GOVERNMENT SAYING, ALL RIGHT, WE
KNOW AMERICA AN EXPLANATION ON
THIS, THEY'RE GOING TO CREATE A
SPECIAL COUNCIL.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU'RE GOING TO
SEE A "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER
OR TWO OR THREE WHO ARE GOING TO
BE ASKED TO GIVE UP THEIR SECRET
SOURCES.
THIS IS WHAT'S AT STAKE.
Developing...
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