L.A. Times Disowns Reporter (Ken Dilanian )Outed as a CIA Collaborator

[saturnsring]

Ken Dilanian

Now, it is not uncommon for national security reporters to vet facts with government functionaries, but the emails indicate Dilanian went much further than that, not only sharing stories prior to publication (a big no-no in almost every newsroom) but he also entered into discussions about how the CIA could bend public opinion of drone strikes their way.

On at least one occasion he re-wrote a lede as per their dictates. He also reported as fact, in the pages of the Los Angeles Times, a CIA claim that there was no collateral murder in a 2012 drone strike on Al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi. An Amnesty International report disputes that sanitized version of events, citing eyewitnesses that claim upwards of 15 people, including Afghan tribesmen unaffiliated with Al Qaeda, were killed in the drone strike. Obviously, a drone strike that only kills the bad guys is much more palatable to the American people than a drone strike that kills 15. But that's not journalism, that's propaganda.

[OnyxCollie]

1. Links:

THE CIA’S MOP-UP MAN: L.A. TIMES REPORTER CLEARED STORIES WITH AGENCY BEFORE PUBLICATION
https://theintercept.com/2014/09/04/former-l-times-reporter-cleared-stories-cia-publication/

Ex-Tribune reporter said to have 'collaborative' relationship with CIA
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-tribune-dilanian-20140904-story.htmlhttp://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-tribune-dilanian-20140904-story.html

[saturnsring]

3. thanks i forgot the links

[Eleanors38]

8. Second link is "Gone." With the wind.

[OnyxCollie]

10. Huh. Well, that's interesting.

Here's an excerpt (not much more at the article):

Ken Dilanian, a former staff writer for the newspaper chain that includes the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, had a "closely collaborative relationship with the CIA," according to the article, published Thursday by the online news site the Intercept.

In documents made public by the website, Dilanian appeared to promise positive news coverage and on occasion sent the CIA press office entire story drafts for review prior to publication. In at least one instance, the CIA’s reaction appears to have led to significant changes in a story eventually published by Tribune newspapers, according to the emails.

“I’m working on a story about congressional oversight of drone strikes that can present a good opportunity for you guys,” Dilanian wrote in one email to a CIA press officer, explaining that what he intended to report would be “reassuring to the public” about CIA drone strikes, according to the Intercept.

In another exchange, the website reported, Dilanian sent a full draft of an unpublished report about drone strikes along with the subject line, “does this look better?” In another, he directly asks the agency officer: “You wouldn’t put out disinformation on this, would you?”

[Wilms]

2. I wish I could remember what the story was.

But someone posted a story penned by this guy and I didn't like the way it smelled. I even googled the author.

Glad he got outted.

[saturnsring]

4. yea it seems he has a credibility problem

[Schema Thing]

5. I'm sure he still has his main job, paid by us the taxpayers.

[Blue_Tires]

6. Dilanian hasn't been with the LAT for awhile now

So you might want to update your bookmarks...

And even then his transgressions are relatively mild in today's era of anything-goes cowboy journalism... FWIW, I've pointed out numerous professional/ethical violations by Glenn Greenwald among others, and nobody here has given a shit...

[saturnsring]

7. i am aware just pointing out that this reporter has credibility issues.

[Eleanors38]

9. ANY post in DU will gain credibility issues.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Oh don't say it so

Mockingbird is still at work... the Church Commission was supposed to get rid of it, but heck, new ways of doing that old bussiness

[suffragette]

12. AFTER that, he went on to AP and now to NBC.

Apparently, pushing the propaganda pays.

[saturnsring]

13. if youre a good dog they sometimes throw you a bone