Mumbai Hotel Terrorist Massacre, Loose Lips Sink Ships: British Couple Claims CNN Endangered Their Lives By Reporting Location

Loose lips sink ships … Remember when revealing too much information was considered a bad thing and could compromise individuals safety?

“The terrorists were watching CNN and they came down from where they were in a lift after hearing about us on television.”

We have all seen the terrible and horrific acts in Mumbai, India as terrorist attacks on innocent people claimed the lives of nearly 300 and wounded many more. People saw the terrible scenes of death and destruction through the media and the almost non-stop 24/7 cable coverage. The carnage, death and destruction planned was to be much worse. However, when does the media go too far and endanger people’s lives in an effort to over-report a story? Do they even know or better yet care what they are doing? Or is it just about a scoop and ratings … civilian welfare be damned. What is the medias responsibility to human safety?

Enter CNN coverage of the terrorist attacks, or were they freedom fighters CNN? Did CNN put Mumbai terror victims in danger?

A South Wales British couple, Lynne and Kenneth Shaw who were caught up in the terrorist attacks in Mambai, India claim that CNN endangered their lives by broadcasting on TV their location. Lynne and Kenneth Shaw, of Penarth, South Wales, were in a restaurant at the Taj when the terrorists struck. The couple then hid under a marble table “cuddling each other” until help came.

Lynne stumbled as she fled, and said: “That probably saved my life. I think they only missed me for that reason.”

The couple then hid under a marble table “cuddling each other” until help came, but she was terrified the men who tried to help them were terrorists.

“I thought we were going to be executed,” she said, adding that she only felt safe when she recognised the uniforms of Gurkhas as they were led down the stairs. There was blood, guts, bullet cases. There was even the odd body,” she said. “It was awful,”

As Wales on Line is reporting, ‘We thought we were safe… then CNN stepped in!’

A SOUTH Wales couple caught in the Mumbai terror attacks claimed last night that CNN put their lives at risk by broadcasting where they were.

Lynne and Kenneth Shaw, of Penarth, warned that terrorists were listening in to the media to pinpoint Western victims.

Mrs Shaw claimed the American cable TV channel had broadcast details of where they were at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

She has appealed to the media to be careful with the information it broadcasts because safety could be compromised and lives lost.

The couple flew back into Heathrow yesterday morning on a flight arranged by the British Consulate.

Mrs Shaw had been forced to hide under a table as terrorists stormed the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

She and her husband were later rescued by Gurkhas and taken straight to the Australian Embassy for safety.

The couple were at the end of a month-long visit to India and were staying in Mumbai for a few days before heading back to the UK.

From her home in Penarth yesterday, Mrs Shaw said: “We have been asked by the British terror police not to talk to the press.

“But the reason I would not want to talk to anyone is because our safety was actually compromised by CNN, which broadcast where we were.

“The terrorists were watching CNN and they came down from where they were in a lift after hearing about us on television. For that reason I would appeal to the media to be very careful about what they broadcast.

CNN’s response to the situation. Pardon me CNN, but would not this be a complaint from Lynne and Kenneth Shaw?

A spokesman for CNN, said: “CNN has received no complaint from any individual regarding our coverage and their safety. We take such matters very seriously.

“We had CNN and Turner Broadcasting employees staying trapped at the Taj hotel during the attacks, and were vigilant about anything we broadcast that could compromise the safety of those inside.

Bloggers covering the story:

• The Gateway Pundit: British Couple at Taj Hotel: “We Thought We Were Safe, Then CNN Stepped In”
• Michelle Malkin: CNN reports. You run for cover.

UPDATE I: Indian journalists in media firestorm

Indian media was itself a major news item as the Mumbai terror attacks came to a conclusion over the weekend.

The country’s broadcasters were summoned Friday by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to deal with charges that the live saturation coverage had helped the terrorists. At the same time, however, traditional media were criticized as too slow and inaccurate by legions of “citizen journalists” using Internet services such as Twitter and photo site Flickr.

The deputy commissioner of police argued that the terrorists, who were holed up in two major hotels and became involved in floor-by-floor firefights with police, were gaining tactical information from TV. Using powers under Section 19 of the country’s Cable Television Networks Act, he ordered a blackout of TV news channels.