MIXED MEDIA
Fox breaks ranks, airs unedited bin Laden tape

By Elizabeth Jensen
Los Angeles Times

In a recording, the al-Quaida leader urges Iraqis to kill as many U.S. troops as possible. Advertiser library photo

The network's actions were in contrast to the way networks generally have handled messages thought to be from bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization since shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Fearful of disseminating messages to al-Qaida supporters that could be hidden in the tapes, and leery of giving air time to propaganda, networks have largely chosen to review tapes first for their newsworthiness and then air excerpts.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, in an October 2001 meeting, asked network executives to use caution airing unedited bin Laden videotapes.

On Tuesday, both CNN and MSNBC reviewed the tape before airing several minutes of excerpts, using their own translations as well.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell announced the existence of the tape in an appearance before a Senate committee. Immediately after Fox aired the tape, Fox anchor Shepard Smith told viewers that because Powell had already discussed the tape's content in public, Fox decided "it would not be aiding the enemy, so to speak, to take it live to air, as was already happening throughout the Arab world."

A CNN spokeswoman, calling bin Laden statements "largely propaganda," said, "We believe that to give air time to Osama bin Laden's statement in its entirety without reviewing it first would be irresponsible."

She declined to comment on Fox. An MSNBC spokesperson said it waited to air portions of the tape "because we wanted to make sure we knew and understood what we were dealing with."

Separately, Fox and MSNBC executives said their decisions to keep the words "Terror Alert High" constantly on screen since the national threat was raised to orange last week weren't meant to cause undue alarm.