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Was the Press Taken In?

Peter Jennings stands by his broadcast

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Peter Jennings

Krauthammer accuses me of having “parroted” Muslims’ charges that the “tunnel cuts under their compound” and their claim that the act was “a crime against Islam.” That is precisely what the Muslims did say. But either he didn’t watch the next several minutes of our news broadcast or ignored the remainder of the report. I added in my very next sentence that the “Israelis say they have touched nothing holy, merely a raw political nerve.” Elsewhere on World News Tonight, we made it clear that the Muslim claim was, technically speaking, ambiguous at best. I recognize Krauthammer’s license as a commentator, with a particular interest in this subject, but our job is to put such matters in context. On this occasion, I believe the facts show we did our job well. Krauthammer’s Essay is missing context both of the events in question and of ABC’s coverage of them.

Peter Jennings, Anchor and Senior Editor, BC World News Tonight, NEW YORK CITY