On Thursday’s broadcast of “CNN NewsNight,” host Abby Phillip said that The New York Times running a photo of an emaciated Palestinian child it featured on the that had pre-existing health problems that the paper ended up having to attach an Editors’ Note about “was maybe the wrong editorial decision,” but also admonished CNN Senior Political Commentator Scott Jennings for bringing it up because “We are talking about real things here, not talking points.”
Jennings stated that “young people are seeing things with their own eyes, and what they’re seeing is massive amounts of propaganda. Look what The New York Times had to admit to just in the last few days.”
Phillip then cut in to say, “They admitted that they ran a photo of a starving child who also had a disease? Is that the admission?”
Jennings responded, “It’s a hoax. It was sent around the world to make people think that Israel had starved that child.”
Phillip then said, “What about all the other children in that story? What about them, are they a hoax?”
Jennings responded, “Abby, there is a coordinated propaganda campaign right now to paint a distorted picture of what’s happening. Some of them are.”
Phillip then said, “What you claimed was that all of these young people, not just young people, but everybody in the world, the photos that they’re seeing, the stories that they’re reading, the first-person accounts are a hoax? Are they a hoax?”
Jennings answered, “I’m saying that the photo that The New York Times ran and then ran a correction on is a part of a propaganda campaign that is occurring right now.”
Phillip then said, “I do not agree with you on The New York Times photo. But let’s say that that one was wrong. They ran a correction, fine. What about all of the other children?”
Jennings responded, “Sure. … What about all of the other hoaxes?”
Phillip then cut in to state, “I’m putting a stop to the talking points, okay? That’s what I’m doing here. Because I’m talking about human beings. … We are talking about real things here, not talking points. Leave the talking points at the door.”
Later, she asked, “Let’s say that that photo was maybe the wrong editorial decision, but is what is happening over there a hoax?”
Jennings responded, “No. … There is a humanitarian crisis, but the question was, why is public opinion changing? And I’m telling you that it’s changing because people are being misinformed.”
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