Bad Karma: CNN Cuts Off The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama accepted the Congressional Gold Medal this afternoon. But, CNN cut him off during his speech, as he was talking about China's relationship with Tibet . With only three minutes left in the speech, CNN cut away to the anchor (whose name I forget), who then babbled for a minute about the history of the award and what the Dalai Lama said in his speech. Instead of just showing the speech. The network then moved on to the scandal-plagued president of Oral Roberts University.

Flipping channels to find the rest showed Fox News had left it earlier than CNN, if they had carried it all. But kudos to MSNBC, who carried the Dalai Lama's words all the way through.

Here's CNN interrupting, 20 seconds in:

Update: The anchor with bad karma is Fredericka Whitfield

Comments

[RandyRanson]

05:23 PM on 10/18/2007

This is standard procedure for CNN. They do this over and over again, just as a speaker is getting to the meat of the issue or substance of his or her speech, they get cut off. CNN can be the most annoying news network out there. They are rude and show no understanding of what is or may be real news, that is unfolding right before their very eyes. They ask questions of their guests, and don't let them finish with their answer. It's as if they wish to take back the question they asked in the first place, so they can ask a new one instead.
CNN's producers are some of the worst in the news world.

[Sinomania]

01:57 PM on 10/18/2007

The Congressional Gold Medal of the United States Congress is awarded to civilians (the congressional Medal of Honour is specifically for military service) to award outstanding achievement in the national interest of the United States.

Can someone please tell me, in what way has the Dalai Lama served the USA's national interest?

The Dalai Lama's decision to accept a Gold Medal for doing nothing is a clear indicator of his true aim - to become the new "Mother Teresa" of international publicity stunts. That he would accept a medal from a group of politicians with rock-bottom approval ratings (only 11% according to a new poll) reflects how out of touch he is.

And how pathetic to revere such a pretender (there has always been two competitors as the true 11th Panchem Lama) in awe.

There isn't any wisdom in the banal musings of the Dalai Lama that can't be found in our own cultural heritage. Read the Gospel According to St. Matthew for starters.

[Blutus]

11:34 AM on 10/20/2007

Yes. This man is diabolical.

He asked to be awarded the medal.
Part of his plot to take over
the earth.

What a dire fiend.

I better go read some more of my "cultural
heritage" like the Gospet of Matthew
that is all about America!

Now that Matthew, he deserved a real Medal
of Honor.

Because we all know, the New Testament
is all about war and killing people!

Jesus was an officer!!

[brooklyncitizen]

08:37 PM on 10/21/2007

Flagged as intolerant.

[quintus]

01:20 PM on 10/18/2007

An unrelated technical glitch or deliberate censorship?

Maybe CNN has some sort of special relationship with China's leadership?

What motive would they have in blocking out his remarks on China?

[LightningJoe]

11:15 AM on 10/18/2007

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who feels like shouting at the tube when they do something this brain-dead.

Actually, I DO shout at the tube when I see this kind of crap-"journalism." My language is fershit, lately! :)

[protagonia]

10:54 AM on 10/18/2007

CNN is FOX lite.

[rras]

10:47 AM on 10/18/2007

I saw no harm done. You people have to realize that an overdose of shit can stink up the whole show.
Beside just having news coverage of the most reverend Dalai Lama with the " dreaded born again President Bush" was a little to much for the uncorrupted world to see.

[GhostofBillHicks]

10:18 AM on 10/18/2007

I was hoping while the Dalai Lama was speaking with Bush yesterday,he might of explained the concept of "Karma",mabey Bush could understand why his approval rating is below "Tricky Dicks",and when he does bad or unethical things it will come back to bite him in the ass.

[WTFbush]

09:57 AM on 10/18/2007

More amd more like a facsist state everyday.

[pangardenguru]

08:51 AM on 10/18/2007

most television commentators are obnoxious. Its all about hair and lip gloss. they think they are stars because they are on t v. They babble on, often using poor grammar but of course are never aware of it. They think that they must talk continuously, some rule to never have a nano second of dead air time, but so so often they really do just need to shut up for a second.

[Witchitalineman]

02:45 AM on 10/18/2007

CNN really is starting to go down the tubes.

[jukesgrrl]

09:59 PM on 10/17/2007

Oh, don't tell me, they cut to coverage of what Lindsay's up to now that she's out of re-hab. Lucky for me, I was watching on C-SPAN.

[Ginzaman]

09:39 PM on 10/17/2007

Massive censorship strikes again by order of the neocons.

[HighPlainsAg]

11:42 AM on 10/18/2007

Censorship from neocons? Maybe, but let's not start seeing witches in every closet. I lived on the border of the Republic of Boulder for some years, and the only people in Colorado who gave a rat's tail of attention to Tibet were my neighbors. Should others? Probably, but they didn't and don't. And the average American is no more interested in listening to the Dalai Lama than to Maharishi Ishi Ritch. Should they be? Probably, but they aren't.

So CNN cut from something their viewers aren't interested in to something hordes are hungry for: gossip. Don't blame the media; blame the uneducated, wilfully illiterate American public. This wasn't censorship, it was pimp programming.

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:50 PM on 10/17/2007

What, they took a break from Iraq coverage?

[ashabot]

08:39 PM on 10/17/2007

So why just post CNN's choked version? Post the MSNBC clip too.

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

08:50 PM on 10/17/2007

just go to msnbc.com and search for "dalai"

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

08:52 PM on 10/17/2007

if you can't do that, you are too impatient to listen to his whole speech.

speaking of which ... he gushed about his warm-felt friendship with Bush, and Chucklenuts just laughed with his trademark shit-eating grin.

oh Chimpy, Chimpy. what are we going to do with you.

Pelosi was cute as always, returning His Holiness's compliments on her hard work for the Tibetan people with a cute gesture of hands held together at the throat chakra, a mudra (symbol) of devoting one's speech.

[Bulbul]

07:32 AM on 10/18/2007

Thanks, I will listen to that.

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

08:26 PM on 10/17/2007

the karmic consequence of cutting off a broadcast of the Dalai Lama is to be reborn as a bat, blind and triangulating with sonar for ratings or poll rankings or whatnot, echoing the songs of a bloodthirsty dimwit (a "Wolf Blitzer").

(not really. I just made that up.)