September 17, 2003	Wednesday	Rajab 19, 1424

NEW YORK, Sept 16: CNN star reporter Christiane Amanpour has stirred a media hornets’ nest by claiming US television networks, including CNN, were “intimidated” by the Bush administration in their coverage of the invasion of Iraq.

“I think the press was muzzled and I think the press self-muzzled,” Ms Amanpour told former Vanity Fair editor, Tina Brown, on her CNBC talkshow.

“I’m sorry to say that, but certainly television — and perhaps to a certain extent my station — was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers at Fox News,” she said, referring to the conservative, Rupert Murdoch-owned network that has become CNN’s main cable news rival.

“And it did, in fact, put a climate of fear and self-censorship in terms of the kind of broadcast work we did,” Amanpour said.

Press reports on Tuesday said CNN news chief Jim Walton had a “private conversation” with Amanpour over her remarks, but had stopped short of reprimanding the reporter.

“Christiane is a valued member of the team and one of the world’s foremost journalists,” Walton said in a statement.—AFP