A person working for CNN on the story of slain ambassador Chris Stevens swiped his diary from the “the largely unsecured” US consulate in Benghazi. The network then used the diary’s contents to produce on-air reports, against the wishes of Stevens’ family. The State Department says the network’s actions were an “indefensible” invasion of privacy.
More on the ethics controversy: Newser, Politico, WaPo, AP, WSJ.
The diary contained only seven written pages in a hard-bound book, according to a CNN statement.
Some who are debating whether the network’s actions were appropriate ask where one draws the line in this sort of situation: if a news agency staffer swiped a hard drive, a laptop, or a little USB fob, instead of a paper diary, would the world react differently?
And in related news, the embassy attack is described by the New York Times as a “major blow” to CIA operations in the region.