CHRISTIANE (CONT’D): Now, people may think that makes an interesting movie, but it’s not fact and it’s not the reality, and it doesn’t show you or help you understand where this is going. And I can see that because – and I don’t know where this is going, because even though I’ve been there, even though I wouldn’t even tell you where it was going if I was standing in Iran right now – but I have heard commentary on American television that suggests that there’s a green revolution taking place, or a cyber revolution, or something. And it’s just words that are flung around by people who’ve never been there and who probably do have their own opinions, but have no idea what’s going on on the ground. And I find that – I actually find it dangerous. It’s dangerous to our society, it’s damaging. It might be interesting but it’s not the reality.

LESLEY: Well, you know, I’m listening to you and I would think in general that those kinds of reporting – little snippets of things, people spouting off, whatever – is not helpful. But when you’re dealing with a situation where even one of the finest reporters in the world, which is you, would say to me, "Even I don’t know really what’s going on" —

CHRISTIANE: Well, yes, and it’s a fact. I don’t know how many people are gathered in any square at any given time. And there are so many conflicting reports. And I speak the language and I know where to go on the websites. People don’t even know which website is speaking for Mousavi.

LESLEY: Right.

CHRISTIANE: Did he say that, "I’m prepared for martyrdom," as Facebook said? Or did he make a much more rational speech to the people as we’re now told the official website says? And even now the website is being slowed down and closed down, and it’s difficult to get access to it. You know, people want to believe that they know everything sitting back and just watching, or interpreting for themselves, without any parameter, without any knowledge or information or any experience.

LESLEY: But you would admit that if we didn’t have the Twittering and the people doing little tiny, short reports with their cell phones, we would actually know less than we know.

CHRISTIANE: That’s true. That’s true. But I still am not prepared to say that we know exactly what’s going on. There’ve been accounts of Twitter being hacked, of Facebook being hacked … just look at Jim Sciutto, who’s been all over CNN for days and probably his own air, saying that his own account was hacked and false messages were being sent out. No there isn’t a sure way, and that’s why there is no – in my view there is no substitute for honest-to-goodness, on-the-ground reporting, eyes and ears, by professionals who have a code of conduct. And that’s to verify –

LESLEY: Well what do you do when they start, one, throwing out people –

CHRISTIANE: Well, you have to base a little bit on, obviously, on what you can get. But you have to always put umpteen warnings out that we can’t verify practically 99 percent of it. On the other hand, I’m not dismissing – and nor would I ever – the bravery of those people who are going out there and taking their cell-phone films and the ingenuity of this highly tech society there, which is getting the word out. I’m just saying that as journalists we can’t verify it all.

LESLEY: Let’s go back to you for a minute. You had been the person, for years and years, I think for almost 20 years, who whenever there was any atrocity in the world, whether it be war or genocide or refugees fleeing, desperate poverty, you were the first one on the ground. And then you would stay for a long time and –