CNN Admits Finding Slain Ambassador’s Personal Journal in Libya,Using it for ‘Tips'

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On Friday night, Anderson Cooper revealed on his show that CNN used Ambassador Christopher Stevens’ personal journal as a source in its reporting after the deadly attack that killed Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Discussing when, specifically, the information was used, Cooper said:

On Wednesday of this week, we reported that a source familiar with Ambassador Stevens’ thinking said in the months before his death, Ambassador Stevens talked about being worried about what he called the never-ending security threats in Benghazi.

We also reported that the ambassador specifically mentioned the rise in Islamic extremism, the growing Al Qaeda presence in Libya and said he was on an Al Qaeda hit list. The information for that report, like all of CNN’s reporting, was carefully vetted. Some of that information was found in a personal journal of Ambassador Stevens in his handwriting.

We came upon the journal through our reporting and notified the family. At their request, we returned that journal to them. We reported what we found newsworthy in the ambassador’s writings… [Emphasis added]

Though Cooper appears to relay the information as nothing more than a side note, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that there is much more to the story.

Not only did CNN fail to mention for days the fact that it apparently used the personal journal of a murdered ambassador as a source, Stevens’ family reportedly asked CNN not to discuss the journal or its contents until they had a chance to review it. link

(its one thing that CNN does something so despicable, but if the White House or the State department knew about Ambas. Stevens worries and didn't beef up security on 9/11 of all days , then thats the story here. And can't believe anyone would truly vote for this President.)

Wow, that's low. Low way to treat the family and respect for the dead, and also potentially a real security issue as it may have contained useful information for the government in their investigations.

IMO there is no doubt the Ambassador expressed his concerns to the State department if he mentioned it more than once in his journal. Yes I find that the most disturbing part. As an Ambassador it's not like he would have been talking to someone 10 steps removed from Hillary Clinton, esp. not as Ambassador to a place as volatile as Libya.

It's obvious we were/are ill prepared to defend ourselves in areas that clearly are high risk.

There are several shames in this reporting, one to do so w/o informing the family, second to not go hard after this administration, and last for this administration ot not protect our ambassadors, embassies and personnel, especially when they had warnings this was going to happen.

And people still will vote for this person.