RECENTLY SEAN PENN HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH CBS'S THIS
MORNING CHARLIE CRIST.
HE TALKED ABOUT HOW HE FELT HIS INTERVIEW WAS A FAILURE.
BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS A LOT OF JOURNALISTS THINK HIS
INTERVIEW WAS A FAILURE.
HE FEELS THERE WAS TOO MUCH ATTENTION ON WHETHER OR NOT
SEAN PENN MAYBE DID SOMETHING WRONG OR WHETHER HE IS
CONSIDERED CREDIBLE ENOUGH TO INTERVIEW EL CHAPO.
HE WANTED THAT INTERVIEW TO FOCUS ON THE WAR ON DRUGS
AND HOW RIDICULOUS IT IS.
IT DIDN'T REALLY END UP WORKING OUT THAT WAY.
FIRST, LET'S LOOK AT A QUICK CLIP WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT
JOURNALISTS AND THEIR JEALOUSY.
>>WHEN YOU GET THE STORY THAT EVERY JOURNALIST IN THIS
WORLD WANTED, THERE ARE A LOT OF GREEN EYED MONSTERS THAT
ARE GOING TO COME GIVE YOU A KISS.
>> JEALOUS JOURNALIST?
>>YES.
OF COURSE I NOTE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIKE ME.
>> NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY.
>>FAIR ENOUGH.
AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW WHEN JOURNALISTS WHO WANT TO SAY
THAT I AM NOT A JOURNALIST, WELL, I WANT TO SEE THE
LICENSE THAT SAYS THAT THEY ARE JOURNALIST.
>> VERY GOOD.
>> EVERYONE SHOW ME YOUR LICENSE.
>> IS A DEGREE A LICENSE?
HONESTLY, IF YOU WANT TO BE A JOURNALIST, DO YOU EVEN YOU
HAVE THAT DEGREE?
THERE ARE NEW-MEDIA JOURNALISTS THAT ARE MORE EFFECTIVE IN
THEIR JOBS THAN ESTABLISHMENT JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE GONE
OUT THERE AND GOT THE PROPER TRAINING.
>> IN THE OLD DAYS JOURNALISM WAS NOT LOOKED UP TO.
NEWSMEN WERE LOOKED DOWN UPON.
IT WAS MORE OF A BLUE-COLLAR TYPE OF THING.
IT WAS MORE OF A WORKING-CLASS JOB.
YOU ARE A MUCK RAKER AND EVERYONE HATED YOU.
IT WAS JUST LIKE YOU HAD TO HAVE A NOSE FOR THE TRUTH, AND
STILL TODAY THAT IS WHAT IT IS.
BEN WENT TO COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, AND I WOULDN'T
SAY HE'S ANY BETTER JOURNALIST AND ANYONE ELSE.
>> IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE THE GUY COME DEFEND HIMSELF.
>> HE'S REALLY BAD.
IF YOU WATCH HIM ON HIS SHOW, HE DOESN'T DO A GOOD JOB.
HE WENT TO A GOOD SCHOOL.
I LIKE THEM ANYWAY, I DON'T SAY MUCH.
IS THIS BEING RECORDED?
SHIT.
>> LET'S JUMP AHEAD TO WHAT SEAN PENN HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE
FOCUS OF THIS INTERVIEW.
HE FEELS THE FOCUS SHOULD OF BEEN ON THE WAR ON DRUGS.
BUT HE FEELS LIKE THE NARRATIVE WAS COMPLETELY CHANGED BY
THE MEDIA.
HERE IS WHAT HE ALSO HAD TO SAY.
SEAN PENN DISAGREES.
THE MUTUAL CONTRACT WITH THE ACTRESS KATE DEL CASTILLO
WHO SET UP THE MEETING.
HE WENT TO GET
THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE CREDIT FOR HIS CAPTURE.
HE SAID THAT WAS ALL BS.
NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAR
ON DRUGS.
LET'S GO TO THE BIG PICTURE.
HE IS TRYING TO MAKE A GOOD POINT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I
AM NOT SURPRISED THAT THE FOCUS OF THE INTERVIEW WAS DISTORTED.
THAT IS JUST THE WAY THE MEDIA WORKS.
>> BUT HAVE YOU READ IT?
>>YES.
>> I MEAN, THE THRUST OF THAT ARTICLE, SO MUCH OF IT WAS
ABOUT THE CLANDESTINE NATURE.
>> IT WAS SO BURIED.
WHEN HE GOT TO THE ACTUAL POLICY DISCUSSION YOU HAD TO GET
THROUGH A LOT OF GRANDIOSE DETAILS.
>> IT WAS A LOT ABOUT HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
IT IS ENGAGING BECAUSE HE IS SEAN PENN.
I WOULD SUGGEST TO HIM IF IT WAS ANOTHER JOURNALISTS, JUST
GET TO THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF THE MEETING.
BUT BECAUSE IT SEAN PENN, IT WAS LIKE OH, THIS IS
INTERESTING AND ENGAGING.
MY OPINION IS THAT HIS OBJECTIVE WAS NAœVE AT BEST.
AT WORST I WOULD SAY IT'S A LITTLE BIT SELF-INDULGENT.
BUT DOES THIS REALLY ñ THE BIG POINT HE WANTS TO MAKE THAT
IT IS A CONSUMER DRIVEN MARKET.
THAT IS WHAT EL CHAPO SAYS.
IF PEOPLE WEREN'T DOING DRUGS, I WOULD HAVE ANYBODY TO SELL TO.
DID HE HAVE TO GO INTO THE JUNGLE TO HAVE THE REVELATION?
>>HE DID IT, BUT HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND I DON'T
BEGRUDGE HIM FOR DOING IT.
I WOULD'VE DONE THE SAME THING.
THE WAY THE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I CRITICIZE THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN.
IT WAS RAMBLING, IT WAS NOT FOCUSED.
IF HIS AND TENSION WAS TO FOCUS ON THE WAR ON DRUGS AND HOW
WE HAVE A FAILED POLICY, THEN GOOD, FOCUS ON THAT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF FAT IN THAT WRITING.
>> WHO'S FAULT DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
IT WAS ROLLING STONE.
THEY DID NOT EDIT HIM.
HE IS HANDSOME, LET HIM SAY WHATEVER HE WANTS.
CLEARLY SOMEONE WAS DAZZLED.
>> THEY ALSO ALLOWED EL CHAPO TO APPROVE THE FINAL PIECE.
ROLLING STONE DOES NOT DENY THAT.
THEY DEFENDED THEIR DECISION TO DO IT.
HE'S NOT GOING TO APPROVE THAT IF YOU AND THE WAR ON DRUGS.
IF YOU REALLY WANT THAT TO BE THE FOCUS OF YOUR FINAL
PIECE, THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
>> SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE OF THEM, WHICH ONE
LOOKS LIKE HE'S IS ON THE RUN?
ONE OF THEM IS A MILLIONAIRE IN HOLLYWOOD, AND THE OTHER
ONE IS ON THE RUN.
>> THAT SHIRT.