CNN had a news organization once, there was a time when they did some pretty outstanding news reporting, right up to the Iraq War. Cheerleaders in Chief should have been their title at that point. Granted, a couple anchors tried to maintain something like neutrality, something like it, but the failure over all was egregious - while also spread widely in all news organizations.
Sociological rightward tilt showed itself with Nancy Grace, the accused is always guilty, Nancy Grace spins accusation as proof and any suggestion that factors outside the charges might play as deserving ridicule. Defense attorney contributors earn her scorn, essentially as any sort of defense at all at any cost sorts. In addition I find her shrill, angry, unpersuasive, and a proponent of the anything goes Justice Dept of BushCo.
Glenn Beck a supposed Independent runs with rightwing nutjob attacks as a staple. It isn't that there is a tilt, the show lies flat down with the Reichwing. It really wouldn't be so insulting if it were an ideological argument, it is in fact mostly made up from whole cloth and then insulted. The strawman argument school is in attendance on a regular basis. I have no idea who it is that he is aimed at in their demographics, possibly competition with Hannity and his ilk at Faux News. There is such a thing as honest disagreement, but that requires honest discourse - sadly lacking with Beck. Virtually the only time he isn't shilling for GeorgeII is when he's accusing him of not taking things far enough in the BushCo direction.
Lou Dobbs get thrown into this same mix. I'd rather leave him out of it. His populism drags him right and left and confusing people as to his ideological bent. Lou is certainly sometimes extreme in his language and analysis but neatly nailing him down in a BushCo corner isn't accurate.
Moving through time towards the now one runs into Tony Snow, former FauxNews fauxjournalist and White House faux Press Secretary. He was apparently personally personable enough to have friends amongst the media but he could not have had any friends as an actual journalist. The entire purpose of BushCo Press Secretary is to conceal and spin the truth, one of Snow's favorite modus operendi was to mock anyone with valid questions. Short of answers, mock the questioner. This is the CNN hire to what end? Assuage the cancer survivors? The way to get the BushCo spin and lies is to listen to current Press Flack Dana Perino, it is scarcely necessary get Tony Snow onto a news program to provide it.
Latest news is that Fran Townsend is being hired by CNN. This woman proved herself as an aggressive if incompetent flack for Homeland Security. When questioned as to the presence of Al Qaida in Iraq prior to the War she couldn't say because she'd missed the briefing. That might pale in comparison to her assertion that despite no evidence Al Qaida might try to interfere in the 2008 elections. Fear mongering for its own sake as Homeland Security flack? This is supposed to appeal to whom on a news network? There must be a demographic that CNN is trying to reach in the closing months of BushCo, but who that is misses me. The idea that Faux News demographics are where CNN needs to go is ludicrous, that market is already in the bag. WSJ has gone to Murdoch and it seems more are to follow, so why is CNN trying to compete in that market?
Competition is increasing in the cable market, MSNBC is gaining viewers with an eclectic mix of ideological bents while avoiding a hardcore slant, Fox seems pretty static, and CNN is doing what? Various time slots are going to be avoided by those not seeking a BushCo parroting and ceding these time slots is fatal strategy. A lack of respect concerning any time slot poisons the credibility of the entire network. No news network can afford to lose credibility, that is the life blood of a news organization, even if it is illusionary. Sorry CNN, but I am slowly tuning you out.
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