Scahill: Cable News ‘Terror Analysts’ Profit from Fear

STELTER Jeremy you ve ░░░░░░░░ highly critical of some ░░░░░░░░ news coverage of the ░░░░░░░░ on terror for many ░░░░░░░░ I wonder if you ░░░░░░░░ that coverage currently of ░░░░░░░░ attacks in Europe and ░░░░░░░░ investigation now under way ░░░░░░░░ sowing too much fear ░░░░░░░░ the audience and people ░░░░░░░░ at home SCAHILL Well ░░░░░░░░ would separate the two ░░░░░░░░ On the one hand ░░░░░░░░ as journalists have a ░░░░░░░░ to cover this huge ░░░░░░░░ that has global implications ░░░░░░░░ I think many networks ░░░░░░░░ a good job I ░░░░░░░░ CNN has some great ░░░░░░░░ on the ground We ░░░░░░░░ heard Nick Paton Walsh ░░░░░░░░ s a fantastic reporter ░░░░░░░░ I think it gets ░░░░░░░░ really kind of fear ░░░░░░░░ territory is when you ░░░░░░░░ these so called terror ░░░░░░░░ on the air many ░░░░░░░░ whom also work for ░░░░░░░░ consultancy firms that benefit ░░░░░░░░ the idea of making ░░░░░░░░ afraid I don t ░░░░░░░░ CNN MSNBC and FOX ░░░░░░░░ do good enough at ░░░░░░░░ potential conflicts of interests ░░░░░░░░ some of the on ░░░░░░░░ analysts who also work ░░░░░░░░ the private sector and ░░░░░░░░ money off of the ░░░░░░░░ that we should be ░░░░░░░░ STELTER Well you understand ░░░░░░░░ that s a pretty ░░░░░░░░ charge that these people ░░░░░░░░ us to be frightened ░░░░░░░░ for unnecessary reasons SCAHILL ░░░░░░░░ mean look I ve ░░░░░░░░ a lot of years ░░░░░░░░ how the war contracting ░░░░░░░░ works You ll have ░░░░░░░░ retired generals come on ░░░░░░░░ MSNBC and FOX and ░░░░░░░░ ll talk about the ░░░░░░░░ of a terror group ░░░░░░░░ a particular country and ░░░░░░░░ are on the board ░░░░░░░░ a huge weapons manufacturer ░░░░░░░░ defense company that is ░░░░░░░░ to benefit from an ░░░░░░░░ of that war and ░░░░░░░░ of that war Perhaps ░░░░░░░░ biggest violator of this ░░░░░░░░ General Barry McCaffrey who ░░░░░░░░ made a tremendous amount ░░░░░░░░ money off of war ░░░░░░░░ and then he s ░░░░░░░░ onto these networks and ░░░░░░░░ as though he s ░░░░░░░░ objective observer STELTER So ░░░░░░░░ s brought on And ░░░░░░░░ are you What happens ░░░░░░░░ green rooms I mean ░░░░░░░░ must see these people ░░░░░░░░ to these people here ░░░░░░░░ cable news green rooms ░░░░░░░░ Yes Well I mean ░░░░░░░░ s I have a ░░░░░░░░ of people they see ░░░░░░░░ m in a greenroom ░░░░░░░░ because I also try ░░░░░░░░ interview people in green ░░░░░░░░ because they never return ░░░░░░░░ calls So if you ░░░░░░░░ a retired general sitting ░░░░░░░░ the greenroom with me ░░░░░░░░ would probably turn on ░░░░░░░░ iPhone recorder and started ░░░░░░░░ them questions.“