Operation Tailwind

Question 1

Summary of Tailwind

Answer 1

In 1998, CNN was bought by the company that owned TIME
Executives wanted them to do joint stories, one was done by CNN but was presented as a joint story
They said that the US military had prohibited nerve gas during the Vietnam war and said they killed Americans who were on Vietnam’s side - that was not true

Question 2

Ethical problems during interview

Answer 2

CNN reporter, April Oliver, asked a misleading question of aged retired Admiral Moorer: “Isn’t it fair to say that Tailwind provided that CBU 15 GB is an effective weapon”

Question 3

How Time and CNN reported and how they differed

Answer 3

TIME: asks whether tear gas was used in Vietnam
Later issued an apology and that the story had insufficient evidence
CNN: says tear gas was used in Vietnam

Question 4

Two broad claims

Answer 4

The US military used illicit sarin (nerve) gas in Vietnam
The gas is used on civilians and defectors

Question 5

Substantial evidence

Answer 5

Greg Schmidt testimony

Question 6

Unsubstantial evidence

Answer 6

Van Buskirk’s supposed experience
Quoted at the bottom “We saw bodies” - no explanation for how people died
Ordered to “kill anything that is living”
Pentagon report saying the gas wasn’t used
Admiral Thomas Moorer quote used out of context “I would be willing to use any weapon and any tactic to save the lives of American soldiers”
Killed who they believed were American defectors
Physical attributes
Not confirmed
M-17 gas masks
Don’t know if they were used or what gas was used
Hagen testimony
Paralysis diagnosed by doctor
No quotes from doctor
Don’t confirm cause of paralysis
Inconclusive number of US soldiers

Question 7

CNN Video Report

Answer 7

talk with certainty

Question 8

What steps did CNN take to remedy this

Answer 8

Hired an independent investigator, Floyd Abrams, 1st amendment litigator
Retracted the story
Follow-up broadcast
Apologized
Fired April Oliver and Jack Smith (reporters)
Peter Arnett resigned after being reprimanded
Created new position of Executive VP of New Standards and Practices
Senior producer was fired
Public interviews with Floyd Abrams and CNN president Mark Kapplan
Reporters did this, organization as a whole did not do anything wrong

Question 9

What steps did TIME take to remedy this

Answer 9

retracted story