CBS foreign correspondent Charlie D’Agata is in some hot water after depicting Ukraine as “relatively civilized, relatively European” compared to countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.
D’Agata is on the ground reporting on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, reporting from the capital of Kyiv, where he stated that the Eastern European country is more “civilized.”
“Tens of thousands of people have tried to flee the city; there will be many more. People are hiding out in bomb shelters,” D’Agata said. “But this isn’t a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades.”
“You know, this is a relatively civilized, relatively European – I have to choose those words carefully, too – city where you wouldn’t expect that or hope that it’s going to happen.”
These remarks went viral on social media, leading the correspondent to apologize for his comments when comparing Ukraine to other Middle Eastern nations.
“I spoke in a way I regret, and for that, I’m sorry,” D’Agata said. “You should never compare conflicts anyway; each one is unique…I used a poor choice of words, and I apologize for any offense I may have caused.”
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
