Miles O'Brien, CNN Sci/Tech Beat Over: A 'Real Disappointment'

I think it's really disappointing that CNN has decided to shutter its science and technology unit, just as President Bush is leaving office and hopes are rising that the government might return to respecting science instead of the witchcraft hoodoo of various religious demagogues and the P.R. of corporate flat-earth types. It's an equal shame that this means the end of the road for CNN's Miles O'Brien, who so expertly brought many of this unit's stories to the public with a concern for communicating to an audience of laymen and the enthusiasm that comes from being the one guy in the studio who gets to say something other than the same inane political talking point over and over again.

Health Care For America Now's Jacki Schechner, who used to be a colleague of O'Brien's at CNN, has a post up about the news, which she calls "a real disappointment." She presents O'Brien as a fun and flexible newsman, generous with his time and passionate about his job. "I can't say enough great stuff about him," she writes, adding:

To hear he's being let go - along with 6 other producers - is a real disappointment. I'm still waiting to hear who those 6 might be. I fear they may be some of the amazing people who worked with me during my tenure. And if that's the case, then once again, CNN has proven they should be considered - at least to those who've given them their all - the least trusted name in the news business.

...

To say I'm livid would be an understatement.

TVNewser reports that "the unit is being shuttered as the network integrates science, environment and technology reporting into the general editorial structure," which probably means that they'll be sous chefs at the CNN Grill or something. Meanwhile, Richard Quest, who was arrested in Central Park with a pocketful of meth and a rope tied to his junk, still has a job. Only science can explain this.

Comments

[NoahVail]

What's next? Creationism?

[TrevorAlan]

A lot of big general news sources get science wrong too often, but it is so much worse that they don't even plan to make it a regular part of their coverage and they don't plan to have someone specializing in scinece news in order to get it more right. I understand that mid-size papers can't afford full-time science people on their staff, but CNN with all its outlets certainly could afford to.

All the more reason to get my news from a variety of on-line sources, but at the same time when some people do that they'll get really weird things from bad psuedo science sources.

[ManwithaParachute]

CNN is a Younger Fox News at this point.

Media: Where intelligent folks need not apply.

[Nofoolhere]

This is a tactic in the corporate strategy to dumb down America. CNN is just one of the media soldiers in this evil cause. The public needs to wake up to what is happening in the midst of the euphoria over Obama's victory. He has already been sandbagged by corporate power in the choices he had to make to have a a cabinet acceptable to corporations. Stay alert over the first 100 days and see the symptomatic effects of corporate presence and control in the Obama administration.

[hkphooeyd]

Boy that is really reaching with Obama cabinet, give it rest please. No one knows until the changing of the guard actually takes place. At least give it till Jan. 20th!

[cjk002]

Someone needs to adjust their tin-foil hat....