CNN talk show host Piers Morgan is primarily known in America as a judge on America's Got Talent. But in a Time magazine Q&A, Morgan wants America to know he's a longtime journalist and interviewer. Since CNN and Time share the same corporate parent, Time Warner -- there's a disclaimer online, but not in the magazine -- Time's Tara Kelly may have shocked some by underlining how Morgan is Britain's version of Dan Rather, falling for a journalistic hoax as editor of the Daily Mirror in 2004, getting sacked, and still refusing to acknowledge error to this day:
TIME: In 2004 you were fired as editor of the Daily Mirror after the tabloid ran photos allegedly doctored to show British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners.
MORGAN: I stand completely by what the Mirror published. I've never apologized for it. As for the veracity of this particular set of pictures, it remains unanswered. I've never seen any hard evidence that they are fakes.
CNN'S "Get to Know Piers Morgan" page shamelessly oozes right past this scandalous hoax:
Two years later he moved to the Daily Mirror, where he served as editor-in-chief from 1995 until 2004. The paper won numerous journalistic awards including Newspaper of the Year at the prestigious British Press Awards in 2002 for its coverage of 9/11. After his controversial departure from the Mirror [for what?], Morgan went on to become a best-selling author, a regular media columnist, and host of his own interview programs on the BBC and ITV, as well as appear as a judge alongside Simon Cowell on the No.1-rated show Britain’s Got Talent.
Here's the apology the Mirror published after they canned Piers:
VOICE OF THE MIRROR: Iraqi PoW abuse pictures handed to us WERE fake
Hoaxes: Minister Adam Ingram
The evidence against them is not strong enough to convict in a court but that is not the burden of proof the Daily Mirror demands of itself.
Our mission is to tell the truth.
That is something this newspaper has been doing for more than 100 years and will always strive to do. If ever we fail, we are letting down the people who mean most to us. Our readers.
So to you today we apologise for publishing pictures which we now believe were not genuine.
We also say sorry to the Queen's Lancashire Regiment and our Army in Iraq for publishing those pictures.
As for gassy claims, Morgan also thinks he can overtake Sean Hannity and Fox News in the ratings: "We're not going to overtake Fox News overnight. However, if we get it right on this show, then I believe we have the potential to become No. 1."
It should be noted that Time used its Iraq hoax question to once again harp on Abu Ghraib. Online, it urged readers "(See pictures of the aftershocks from the Abu Ghraib scandal.)"
