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The Times – Where is the car? <br/> If Kofi Annan has nothing to hide, he should answer the question

Bad journalism often offends discerning readers. Good journalism, very often, offends its subjects, and Kofi Annan took offence when James Bone, of The Times, asked him about a luxury car his son appears to have bought in his father’s famous name.

It was an unprecedented exchange, but only in that the UN Secretary-General lost his customary composure and addressed Bone in strikingly personal language while still declining to answer the question. For his own part, Bone has been raising the issue almost daily at UN press briefings, and Mr Annan should have been ready with a response. …

Journalists should not be offended if the Secretary-General uses fruity language. But they are entitled to ask him whatever they want, especially in press conferences. That is what press conferences are for. This time the question was simple. The answer may be simple, too. Please Mr Annan, answer the question.

One wonders why he thought he could tell off a reporter for The Times of all news organizations. The Sun, he would have gotten away with it. The Daily Mail, everyone else in the room would have joined in. But The Times?