U.S. News & World Report - September 2, 2002
Extreme TV, CNN-style: Bush on the dog gassing
With the popularity of reality shows, "extreme TV," and news programs like 48 Hours, is it any wonder that staid CNN is a tad jealous? Maybe that's why network bigs thought up their own brand of extreme news, theirs featuring President Bush. Whispers learns that the network offered to show its sensational al Qaeda training tapes, which include scenes of puppies being gassed, to the White House before they were aired. But there was a hitch. It would let the White House view five minutes' worth, but only if the dog-owning Bush and his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, were in the room. And only if a CNN film crew and White House reporter could tape their reaction to Fido's biting the dust immediately after the screening. Imagine that video. The White House did and said no thanks. "The president is not a prop for some reality show," grumps a senior Bushie. Insiders say that the scheme was cooked up at CNN's Atlanta HQ and that many-though not all-in the network's Washington bureau, embarrassed by having to do Atlanta's bidding, were relieved by the rebuff.
Stephen Hadley, Deputy National Security Advisor, said, CNN "acted responsibly and there were no conditions to making the tapes available. They handled it exactly right."