Letter blasts CNN for becoming FOX Clone

[spooked]

http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/8789/

Open Letter to CNN
by Sheila Samples
(Monday 09 August 2004)

The wonderful thing about Truth, and the thing you folks at CNN can't seem to come to grips with, is -- the Truth is out there. It's impenetrable; indestructable, and it's not going away. And, don't bother pointing out that CNN's softer-edged barking heads and cackling pundits aren't as bad as Fox News' mean-spirited barking heads and cackling pundits. Is to be a Fox clone really what you want? Do you think this is what Ted Turner had in mind when he built your magnificent empire, brick by ethical brick?

Fox News manipulates the polls in favor of George Bush -- so we'll manipulate the polls in favor of George Bush. Fox News screams and spontaneously combusts at the sight and sound of President Bill Clinton -- so we'll do the same AND throw in the rat-gnawed, demon-encrusted Hillary for extra points. Fox News hangs onto George Bush's every incoherent word. We can do that. And, because Bush is our very own charge to keep, we'll clean up the messes he inevitably leaves in his wake. Hey -- least we can do...

[lapfog_1]

1. Yeah, I've been thinking

I miss the old CNN, the Ted Turner.

One of the things I miss most was the international hour, where
they had journalists, sometimes patently pandering to the government
of whatever country they were in, report the odd stories and the
opinion of people from around the world. I also miss having
good overseas reporting like Christine Amanpour (sp?).

Anyway, I started thinking...

How hard would it be (if it were possible) to create a
Synthetic News Network... By that I mean the following...
pick up Pundit and Humor that is either centrist or left
leaning from already produced shows... for me that would
be McNeil Lerher, Olbermann, Lou Dobbs. Throw in some humor,
Daily Show with Jon Stewart, find the overseas filed reports
like the old international hour. And then at least one
pundit show with Howard Dean, Al Frankin, etc. doing the hosting
duty. That would make my news day... plus I'd actually might
find out what's going on and how others in the world feel about
it.

Anyway, just a crazy thought.

[thisismyboomstick3]

12. Kinda sounds like what comedy central wants to become.

IS tough crowd still on?

[KharmaTrain]

2. Nuance...That's What Make CNNservative dangerous

This is a great letter and hope it stays kicked for a while!

One major difference between the Turner CNN & the Time/Warner CNNservative is they replaced "crusty" journalists with pretty faces. Gone are the Bernie Shaws, Lou Waters and original crew of anchors and in came the pretty faces to "spice" things up.

There's Darren Kagan, Carol Costello, Carol Linn and so on...eye candy...harmless...cute. Dead wrong. These people were selected as they sold out to the corporates when the network was purged of a lot of older, more neutral writers, producers and reporters. These faces are wired to the teleprompters and control rooms that tell them what to say, what to ask of guests and how to front and back sell stories. They deliver the spin with a smile and we, in return, take that spin as truth since it was done so nicely or looked so good.

A year ago there were many who believed that Faux was balanced and not a mouthpiece of the GOOP...with our exposure (Franken, Moore, Outfoxed and so on) of this ruse the common perception of that network has changed. Now it's CNNservative's turn.

[NewJeffCT]

3. good letter

Keep it kicked.

[AmerDem]

4. Great article but now if only

There were a way to have people talk openly on television about everything mentioned within the article. Unfortunately news articles online don't get the attention that mainstream television receives ( as of now anyway ).

For now all we can do is slowly chip away at this mountain of rock we have before us.

Thanks for the post it's appreciated!:toast:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

5. kick

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Time Warner and CNN executives deny they are like Fox...

when in fact they are much more insidious. Using the trademark Ted Turner covered forever in glory by his inventive dream of a 24/7 news network beamed round the world, which, I believe, helped end the Cold War by showing the world to itself, they do incalculable damage. Shame on Richard Parsons, shame on all who hold power at CNN. I have their names, and would like to expose them for what they are. I've done a bit of digging, but then had to travel for a time; these guys, and gals, work behind the scenes, and their treachery is hard to pin down.

I do know that Richard Parsons is a maxed-out Bush contributor, while surprisingly, the TW board is split about 50/50 between Bush and Kerry contributors. I know also, that Rick Davis, head of "standards and practices" at CNN circulated Fox-like memos to CNN's on-air people during CNN's Iraq war coverage, giving them orders about what to say about civilian casualties.

[AmerDem]

7. list what you know!

I'm sure many here like me would like to know what it is you found about these behind the scenes treasonous bastards!

[DeepModem Mom]

8. They were given in confidence, and not household names --

but if I, or anyone, could find a CNN organizational chart, I'm sure they'd be there. There is some info to be found by googling. I mentioned Rick Davis, of Standards and Practices, and his memos, which I found by googling. I've also asked many times since I logged on to DU if anyone had information on CNN's "political director" Tom Hannon. Do we assume that he assigns Candy Crowley to Democratic candidates, and Judy Woodruff as anchor of "Inside Politics"? I think he's been at CNN a long time, but I've never found much info on him. Sam Feist, I believe, is producer of "Crossfire" and Blitzer, and I'm not sure Carville is a fan of his. It's no secret that David Bohrman is Washington bureau chief.

Please, if anybody has knowledge of these people, and why CNN, has become such a tool of the Bushies and the Right, share your findings with those of us at DU who may not rely on cable news as our own news source, but who realize that a huge number of Americans do.

ON EDIT: I started a thread about this, asking for help with info on these CNN bigwigs.

[spooked]

9. Here's a link to an organization that has been

"Tracking Media Bias Since 1996"

http://www.mediaresearch.org/archive/cyber/welcome.asp

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Thanks, spooked!

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DeepModem Mom]

18. You're right, devilgrrl -- that's not a site I'm likely to visit again!

[Cha]

13. I'm estactic this is getting out..and what an eloquent

open letter to cnn. I hope, we the People, can make cnn report the truth someday.

[TexasSissy]

14. This would have more impact if you were specific.

Giving them specific instances of bias would be helpful. Otherwise, this may look just like another party fanatical's ravings. I'm sure they get a lot of that.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

15. We need to team together w/Ted Turner and help him buy back CNN.

Then we can boot out the board of directors, fire the top management, Wolfie and Paula Zahn.

[MallRat]

16. WOW! I didn't know that Aaron Brown refused to run the Swift Vets story.

An island of sanity in a sea of right-wing propagandists:

"Your recent overdosing on unsubstantiated character assassinations fed to CNN by oil-soaked creeps who call themselves "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" is disheartening. To be perfectly fair, Aaron Brown refused to cover the story.

Brown did an editorial before his show after a day of blanket CNN coverage and, without mentioning the subject, said he didn't think that a rumor should be put out there to be 'judged,' even if both sides were represented. 'For that reason,' Brown said, 'I will not be covering a certain story -- and YOU can be the judge of whether I am right or wrong.'

Oh, that there were more Aaron Browns at CNN..."

-MR

[Flubadubya]

17. Wolf (But, But) Blitzer...

Ah, be still my heart. I had already given him that nickname... no kidding! This man is a disgrace to journalism, but again, so is CNN. So sad... :cry: