CNN Denies Accusations of Anti-Semitism

Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 February 2012 12:40 Written by Virtual Jerusalem Tuesday, 14 February 2012 12:28

CNN denied on Monday reports from numerous media outlets that it fired all Israeli Jewish reporters at its Jerusalem bureau and retained only Arab reporters.

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The network issued a statement asserting that such allegations were groundless and unsubstantiated.

The longstanding policy of CNN has been to assign one Arab and one Jewish reporter to stories the bureau covers.

CNN decided to cut down on spending and dismiss a number of employees in its Jerusalem Bureau, due to the relative calm in the area, Globes media outlet reported.

The statement asserts, "CNN has recently reviewed its worldwide operations, an exercise we do regularly to ensure operational and technological efficiency in everything we do. As part of this exercise, we have reorganized the CNN bureau in Jerusalem."

"CNN currently has seven employees working in CNN's Jerusalem bureau, four of whom are Jewish. There is no basis in fact for these reports."

"CNN strongly rejects any suggestion that the reorganization in the Jerusalem bureau is in any way based on the small number of contract employees concerned being Israeli, particularly given CNN's long history of working with locals in the region."

CNN also denied claims that its Jerusalem bureau chief is Arab. The man, Kevin Flower, said that despite the network's efforts at downsizing, it has no intention of closing the Jerusalem office.