If you watch a lot of CNN, as I do at work, you might have noticed something really unusual happening. I knew that most of their shows are horrible sub-par crap, and even though I like a few show hosts (Anderson Cooper, Anthony Bordain's new show, etc), the quality recently tanked. I also despite Piers Morgan, the inferior replacement for Larry King. (Btw, why is an uncharismatic British news exec (who was part of the Rupert Murdoch news organizations in England & thus the scandal) hosting a talk show on CNN?)
News reports had said CNN had let go of all their investigative journalists and were moving towards a more 'panel talk' format.
But just how God-awful this format will be remains to be seen. In the last month, stories which were played all night long included: Martin-Zimmerman trial, birth of baby King George, Ed Snowden's voyage, and now Anthony Weiner's sexy tweets.
But the flaws here are so stunning -- editorial is regularly conflated with reporting, there is no clear fact checking or validation (and lies are tossed out regularly), the news is presented as 'infotainment' and personal dramas, and lastly but most importantly --> the focus of the stories is warped almost completely, the 'narrative' hijacked by CNN, and then the news is retold without the most critical aspects mentioned.
Highlights of flawed coverage:
Zimmerman trial -- why was the case significant to USA? Not because of the drama and the outrage, but because in Florida the police let a man kill a teenager and go home that night without being charged. Because racism and apartheid still exist in the South. Because these new "ALEC" pro-gun laws which are now in effect in many states enable violence against minorities without prosecution. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT AMERICANS STOP RACIST WHITE MEN FROM KILLING BLACK CHILDREN WITHOUT ANY RISK OF PROSECUTION, CNN?
King George birth -- this story annoyed me to no end. Not even a moment spared on the history of USA, people fighting to be free of an oppressive empire, and rather a focus on the British royal family. 'Royalty' -- a tradition people fought in USA to end. WHY WOULD AMERICANS CARE ABOUT BRITISH ROYALTY, CNN?!?! We fought a war to be free of them!
Ed Snowden's voyage -- CNN simply accepts that it's ok for USA to prosecute & pursue a USA whistleblower where 'freedom of speech' and 'freedom of press' are guaranteed in Constitution & this secret spy govt is not part of our laws, no coverage of the leaks, no discussion of the collusion between press and govt to keep information out of the hands of the public, no discussion of what the secret USA govt spying on the public means, no followup questions, attacking Glenn Greenwald for covering the story, etc. WHAT IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THE LEAKS, CNN??? CNN is too afraid to say.
Anthony Weiner -- OK, he tweeted and did other stuff that married people aren't supposed to do, and Congress people shouldn't do, and married Congress people get embarassed when it's exposed. Got it. But what positions does Weiner take on substantive issues? WHAT STANCE HAS WEINER TAKEN AGAINST THE BIG BANKS, CNN? That's right -- Weiner wants to prosecute the big banks for the bailouts (as did Elliot Spitzer, another guy clobbered by the media).
I'd like to shut off CNN forever & replace it with actual journalism & reporting. But for now, it seems that CNN has joined FOX as a pro-govt spin machine, committed to reporting entertainment only and downplaying / spinning / distorting the real news. Why do they do this? Because the govt and corporations make it worth their while.
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