Lara Logan speaks out, lands promotion, ends up in tabloids

CBS' Lara Logan 
(Joe Corrigan / Getty Images)

Last week, CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan appeared on Comedy Central to blast U.S. coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying "if I were to watch the news that you hear in the United States, I would blow my brains out."

Logan has repeatedly argued with the idea that the U.S. press is putting a negative spin on Iraq, saying that if anything, the picture Americans get consistently fails to convey the gravity and horror she has seen on the ground.

Then yesterday, CBS extended Logan's contract and broadened her beat to include international security issues and matters of U.S. policy, making her one of the top international affairs journalists in the U.S.

And now today, strange timing, Logan has fallen into the gossip world's unflattering cross-hairs, with The New York Post and National Enquirer (with major amplification from The Huffington Post) spreading an anonymously sourced, partly contradictory story about Logan's sex life.

I won't stoop to repeat the "details" here, save to say that the Post's story leads with information -- such as that two men "brawled" over Logan -- that is disputed by more "sources" quoted later in the same story.

There can't be anything surprising about how Logan's personal business can sell more tabloids and rake in more cheap hits than her ascent into the top tier of journalism. Or that more people would click on a headline with the word "steamy" in it than would be interested in the astonishing way Logan called out her own media establishment for whitewashing the war.

Comments

[Carol]

In what way is this story remotely of the level that the LAT should be discussing it, even in a blog? Put this newspaper and its website right alongside the NY Post and all the other scandal sheets. How about we discuss the quality of Logan's stories? Or the amount of time/print devoted to international news?

[Chris]

The New York Post and National Enquirer accidentally received an advance copy of my newest screenplay "EmBEDded" and used it as a source. My agent describes it as "Three Kings" meets "The Notebook".

[Eliza]

So Lara Logan speaks out, criticizes the war and the news coverage of the war by the US media and within a few days she's being discredited by a Rupert Murdoch-owned publication. Wow! What a coincidence.

[pashley]

So she's a hottie, sp newspapers can drop pictures of her to generate interest, great. And she wants to convey the horror of the war in Iraq compared, to, like all the other wars she has witnessed? I know, silly question.

How, exactly, was this frickin' news? If she angling for a promotional appearance on a reality show? Who could care?

[Alex Doobie]

I just watched her interview on the Daily Show, and have been keeping up on her coverage of the war and related things and i must say that she said it best about watching the news here in the US and being disgusted like (i hope) so many of us are. the news we get is so watered down and filtered that you can barely call it news!! its more like sugar coated bull****. and i must agree that if i see or hear about anything to do with Britney Spears or Paris HIlton or any other similar icon on 'top stories' or 'Breaking news' or even on the news period i am going to blow steam out my ears! these stupid celebrities should not have any (much less more) time on the news than current happenings to do with the war or anything else for that matter. celebrity news has its own channel! E entertainment TV is a whole channel devoted to that crap. save the news for ACTUAL NEWS that effects the world and its citizens. further more, the only things that make it to our news are not the real deal goings on, but basic propaganda to convince the American people that 'it's goin' just fine over here' when nothing could be further from the truth. The news on television is getting further and further from its original intention which was to inform the population of what is REALLY GOING ON!!! Now it's more about ratings and popularity than the TRUTH. "Don't tell them anything unpleasant because it might be upsetting to some." Well, THE TRUTH IS GRUESOME AND DISTURBING!!!!! BUT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!!! and hopefully we get more people like Lara Logan to tell us how it is without any interference or filters. AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THE TRUTH!!!! Power to you Lara Logan, i commend your professionalism and wit. and i hope the fact that you are the most beautiful correspondent i have ever seen does not hinder people taking you seriously. GOOD LUCK!!

[Steve]

Hey some foreigner who works for the liberal media bad mouths the War. Wow, knock me over with a feather! The main stream media has done nothing but bad mouth the war and now she's being hailed as brave because it hasn't been harsh enough? Yeah. The media isn't baised.

[Keith]

Hey Steve,

Do you have a problem with "foreigners" like Rupert Murdoch good mouthing the war? And if you're so fond of it, which forward operating base are you posting from right now?

You appear to be another member of the 101st Chickenhawk Keyboard Brigade... keep up the good fright...

[Joe Bua]

I just want her to write a book and have Billie Piper star in it.

http://iamatvjunkie.typepad.com/i_am_a_tv_junkie_a_blog_f/2008/06/i-have-already-cast-the-lead-in-movie-version-of-lara-logans-afghanistaniraq-book.html

[Anne]

With people like Logan, no wonder the left-wing media has lost all credibility.