CNN's Freefall Accelerates: Pictures From A Nose-Dive

ToogoodReports ^ | May 2, 2002 | Patrick Mallon

[Starmaker]

"Whom G-d wishes to destroy he first makes mad."
— Seneca

No cliche merchant here. I prefer to gravitate toward original thought, though each time discovering tomorrow that someone else has done a better job making my point for me, yesterday.

Most of us are fascinated by apocalyptic works of fiction wherein humanity, or an important part of it, is threatened with destruction. CNN viewers are firsthand witnessing a real-life drama, and the sorry implosion of a once very informative and respected network.

Here are some recent verbatim quotes from CNN programs, enjoy the show:

1. 4/26/02: Anchor Daryn Kagan on the school shooting in Germany, inferring that the U.S. caused the shooting, recoiled at the breaking news with: "This is not the kind of thing we want to export from this country."
2. 4/23/02: Anchor Carol Lin on Bush’s Earth Day speech: "How does he say: ‘I am a man who is for the environment,’ when what he wants to do is dig it up for natural resources?"
3. 4/22/02 "Crossfire" Exchange between host Paul Begala and a Congressman:

   Begala: "Congressman Davis, Who has a more legitimate claim to the office they hold, Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela, who won an election, or George W. Bush in America?" Davis (R-VA): "George W. Bush. That's easy." Begala: Really? George W. Bush didn't win anything more than a five to four vote on a Supreme Court that his daddy helped pick. I don't like Chavez, either. I think he's a thug and he's a clown. But he was freely and democratically elected..."

4. 4/11/02: Larry King asked Peter Jennings if there is any liberal bias in the media, to which Jennings replied: "Yes, but I think this is, I quite frankly think this - oh, I just sense you wanting to talk about the other cable channel."
5. 4/02/02: Connie Chung: "He's the spokesperson for an organization seen by most as a terrorist group, even though he would probably prefer the term freedom fighter. We're joined by Hamas spokesman Usama Hamdan. Thank you so much for being with us, sir."
6. 3/18/02: Aaron Brown on former CNN colleague Greta Van Susteren covering Tanya Harding celebrity boxing match: "I'm thinking maybe we have to do things a little bit differently on the program from now on. Next week it begins, a debate on Middle East policy. The Israeli side will be argued by Jackie Mason, he's Jewish, and the Arab side by Omar Sharif. And the next time we tackle sexual abuse by priests, why not book Sally Field, she was so good as the flying nun? And perhaps we can get Jack Nicholson to give us his thoughts on the Yates case, after all, he starred in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Just some programming thoughts based on what it takes to win these days and you know these days, winning is everything."

Brown declared in a memo to bosses last week: "I am the face of CNN!" to which a top network source noted: "I hate to be the one to break the news to Mr. Brown, but has he looked in the mirror lately?" Better yet, has the entire network examined the magnitude of their self-imposed denial?

For edification, I watched Brown host an excellent panel of guests on his program "Black and White in America" on Tuesday 4/30. The show focused on the Cincinnati riots of a year ago. The speakers were as he said, not the "usual suspects" in the sense that liberal and conservatives squared off in typical format, but instead consisted of four African-Americans, one Latino man, and a White woman, all with conservative perspectives on race issues and solutions. The guests must have been chosen by a common sense network head scrambling for competitive content, because Brown clearly was uncomfortable with what they were about to say.

Reverend Eugene Rivers spoke eloquently about the failure in the black community with 70% of children being raised fatherless, to which Aaron asked "why haven´t we talked about this before?" A very sharp Rivers replied: "because it was politically incorrect to do so." Blank-faced, non judgmental Brown, never agreeing or disagreeing, could only say: "Really."

Another articulate guest, columnist Delroy Murdock stated that "the majority of arrests in the Cincinnati case were of black males who were committing crimes, prompting Brown to interrupt, "we reported on that, this isn´t new news, and I´m not being defensive." What?

Heather McDonald of the Manhattan Institute intoned that "during the riots, the media always has to find the angriest of black makes to interview. When I was there, I met many responsible black males who were upset about the behavior of the rioters, and yet they weren´t the ones interviewed." The camera then panned to Aaron Brown, who could offer nothing more than silence, and a smirk.

The Latino man (and I apologize for not writing down his name) intoned: "I am amazed at the lack of influence by the church, and the prominence of influence coming from rap. Laws are race neutral, but the results of the enforcement of laws seem injurious to blacks. This is what the rappers capitalize on." Again, when the camera focused on Brown, he seemed entirely out of his element, and squirmed in his seat.

Here an extremely bright panel were never offered the opportunity to share and debate the merits of their findings, because the host refused to offer an opinion, any opinion. Either way, the entire segment was left dangling, dangling like most CNN presentations, as no moral judgment is permitted. Brown closed off with a puzzling: "there´s a lot of leadership crises around the table." Does that include you too Aaron?

CNN is failing because they employ painful and predictably prepackaged renditions of reality wherein the conclusion to their stories is reached prior to an association with the facts. Since moral absolutes are non-existent, there are absolutely no morals. Facts, in a sense then, are details. Sacred agendas are hermetically sealed and impenetrable, reinforced by once deft interpretations that coagulate around the summary. The dexterity is now nothing more than a vacuous pretense defended by a peevish wine taster, Aaron Brown.

CNN deliberately excises ever bringing up the one word that signifies both their frustration, and their demise: truth. Americans are thirsting for it, and in CNN they have found a barren desert. Truth to CNN is relative. And therein lies the source of their internal crisis. Truth is an honest, factual, description of reality. It´s not an invention. It isn´t malleable based on what one wants it to be. You´ve been discovered CNN. Get it? Like going to the doctor for a diagnosis one strives to avoid, the lack of moral compass, and the refusal to acknowledge it, can only lead to further bleeding.

To comment on this article or express your opinion directly to the author, you are invited to e-mail Patrick at gohabsgo@cox.net .

[ladtx]

Very good. Hope CNN doesn't read it, they may get a clue.

[Tactical Thunder]

CNN is failing! .........SEE I TOLD YOU THERE IS A GOD>>>>>>THANKS GOD

[Wright is right!]

Daryn Kagan looks as though she was/is a really truly serious party girl to me. Anyone know anything about her? Where she came from, background, etc.? I remember the morning she appeared at the anchor desk in a midriff-baring sweater and slacks combo, with the navel piercing plainly visible to all. I must not have been the only one who saw it, because that dress-code snafu has not been repeated by her since.

Michael

[TADSLOS]

Self implosions are fun to watch, but I refuse to watch CNN so let me know when the dust settles so I can witness the rubble.

[Ann Archy]

AARON BROWN...what a JOKE.....however he IS the face of CNN....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Bye-bye Brownie.

[Dog Gone]

I don't know who Aaron Brown is, presumably because I hardly ever watch CNN.

[RightWhale]

Specific examples. Good job well done.

[spintreebob]

Truth to CNN is relative

The article describes the dominant opinion maker sub-culture of the Western world, beyond CNN, which I seldom watch.

In the media, public schools, universities, etc there are no absolute truths. The search is for the "best" answer. The "best" answer for a poor person might not be the "best" answer for a rich person. If a student "does his best" than his answer on a test is "best" by their way of thinking.

We need to be careful that we don't fall into the same thinking patterns. Just because a certain tilt might benefit Bush, or the conservative cause or some other idol of ours, that does not mean that the tilt is truth or logic.

Are examples needed?

[Prodigal Son]

CNN is failing because they employ painful and predictably prepackaged renditions of reality wherein the conclusion to their stories is reached prior to an association with the facts. Since moral absolutes are non-existent, there are absolutely no morals. Facts, in a sense then, are details. Sacred agendas are hermetically sealed and impenetrable, reinforced by once deft interpretations that coagulate around the summary.

I really liked that bit there. Good piece.

[AUsome Joy]

Aaron Brown is Steve Doocy's, the weatherman on Fox and Friends, dentist. (Really!!) Also, he has a late evening show on CNN.

[gjbevil]

She was on a local Phoenix news station before CNN snatched her up. I don't remember much about her, but my impression is she was, and still is, nothing more than a pretty face without much substance in the brain.

[Dan Day]

CNN deliberately excises ever bringing up the one word that signifies both their frustration, and their demise: truth. Americans are thirsting for it, and in CNN they have found a barren desert. Truth to CNN is relative.

Bingo.

CNN forgets why writers for news organizations are (or at least used to be) called "reporters". They're called reporters because they're supposed to report what happened, i.e. what the facts are, what the truth is. Reporters used to be trained observers and investigators, who could discover and relate a reasonably accurate description of what the situation actually is, what actually transpired.

Today, however, too many "reporters" believe that not only the best way, but the *only* way, to present news is to simply parrot what someone else (even those with clear agendas) said happened, or to just sit back and let two people with opposing accounts of the events disagree with each other on the air about what happened, and then leave viewers having to guess which one might be the more accurate.

The concept of actually going there and ferreting out the facts for themselves never seems to occur to the likes of CNN.

[Dan Day]

I don't remember much about her, but my impression is she was, and still is, nothing more than a pretty face without much substance in the brain.

It's incredible how well the 80's song "Dirty Laundry" describes the current state of CNN:

Don Henly's "Dirty Laundry"
...a commentary on the news media

I make my living
Off the evening news
Just give me something
Something i can use
People love it when you lose
They love dirty laundry

Well i could have been an actor
But i wound up here
I just have to look good,
I don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

(Chorus)
Kick 'em when they're up,
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around

Got the bubbleheaded bleach blonde
Comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash
With a gleam in her eye
It's interesting when people die
Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know the boys in the newsroom
Got a running bet
Get the widow on the set
We need dirty laundry

You don't really need to find out
Whats going on
You don't really want to know just
How far it's gone
Just leave well enough alone
Eat your dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up,
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up,
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're stiff,
Kick 'em all around

Dirty little secrets,
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers
In everybody's pie
Love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry

We can film the innuendo,
We can dance and sing.
When it's said and done,
We haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king,
Give us dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up,
Kick 'em when they're down
(repeat and fade...)

[null and void]

IIRC, This starts with a misquote:

"Whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make proud." — Seneca

Any application to the "Self Esteem" classes being foisted on kids who can't read or write is left to the reader as an exercise...

[Howlin]

This could be part of their problem!

[bert]

bump

[backhoe]

That was one of my favorite tunes while doing darkroom work in the 'eighties... thanks for bumping a pleasant old memory.

[SW6906]

Aaron Borwn used to be on local news in Seattle. Back then he was a leftist liberal and full of himself. Nothing has changed.

[Aquinasfan]

I still like that song. The only negative was the unnecessarily "Ooga-chucka"-like chorus.

Otherwise, it's a pop classic. "New York Minute" may have been his best song. And few recordings can beat the second side of Hotel California, including "Wasted Time" and Joe Walsh's beautiful "Pretty Maids All in a Row." But I digress.