Last week, I reported on the Huffington Post about CNN's appalling coverage of anti-war protests that marked the five-year anniversary of the war in Iraq.
This week, CNN responded by mocking the criticism and dismissing it as "rabid."
Here's the kicker. CNN actually pointed to Comedy Central's Daily Show to justify its decision to make a mockery of an issue as serious as Iraq and the anti-war movement.
In October, 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on CNN's Crossfire, and shamed the show's host Tucker Carlson for "hurting America" with partisan hackery posing as news, and attempting to justify it by comparing Crossfire to The Daily Show:
CNN's Jeanne Moos -- along with Glenn Beck, Wolf Blitzer, Lou Dobbs and so many others -- should have been sitting next to Tucker Carlson to get schooled by Jon Stewart.
Here's the real irony. According to Pew Research, Daily Show viewers are actually better informed than people who watch cable news. Fifty percent of Daily Show viewers could name the Sunni branch of Islam, compared to only 41 percent of CNN viewers. A similar gap came about for identifying Scooter Libby (44% to 36%) and identifying Vladimir Putin (52% to 41%). CNN ended up in the middle of the pack; the worst performers were viewers of FOX (surprise), local TV news and network morning shows.
Spiro Agnew famously said, "Bad news drives out good news." These faux-TV journalists and their producers are omitting the most important stories at home and abroad so that they can obsess on horserace election punditry, and in their worst moments, trivialize issues like war and immigration.
Let's not forget that these people are on TV because the industry is owned by a handful of companies obsessed with profitmaking. Let's not forget that merely complaining and calling them out will not ultimately fix the problem. For that, we have to engage in media reform issues, stop media consolidation, protect the future of the Internet, and foster more critical, independent media. Otherwise, we're wasting our time as much as they are.
Specifically on this issue of media reform, one candidate has been singled out as the only one to have taken the issue seriously. In their endorsement of Obama, Open Left states as one of it's top reasons:
"... many people have said that there are few policy differences between Obama and Clinton, but the truth is that their telecom policies could hardly be further apart from each other. Obama proposes exactly the sort of transformative, open telecommunications policy that we need to transform the media landscape in America, while Hillary Clinton's telecom proposals are nothing more than heinous corporate welfare. Without a transformed telecommunications landscape, we are going to have an extremely difficult time building a progressive America or passing any of our other legislation."
They have other good reasons to endorse him, here:
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4795
Thanks for bringing this up.
Obama-Webb '08
It's important that we all get to vent on the Anchors and so-called bearers of any sort of truthful kind of message on the corporate media should be taken to task.
No wonder Rupert Murdoch is such a right winger. He is convinced running his network his way makes him more money, and does not want to be inconvenienced by having his minions be perceptive and honest. The sad thing is, he's very wrong. News is news, and should be intelligently, brutally and categorically honest, for the better of us all, and our nation.
A word to the wise, Josh, on account of Cowbell might well have your number.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/apr/19/iraq.samjones
Joan Walsh, news editor of the online magazine Salon, was more concerned about the behaviour of her colleagues who, after weeks of ignoring the civilian cost of the war, were now circling the wounded like vultures. "CNN hit rock bottom on Wednesday morning, when anchor Kyra Phillips interviewed Ali's doctor in Kuwait," said Walsh. "Dr Imad al- Najada explained that, although Ali told reporters he was grateful for his treatment, he also hopes no other 'children in the war will suffer like what he suffered'. Phillips seemed shocked by Ali's apparent inability to understand we were only trying to help him. 'Doctor, does he understand why this war took place? Has he talked about Operation Iraqi Freedom and the meaning. Does he understand it?'"
Je pense, donc je suis populiste.
http://www.turnerinfo.com/newsitem.aspx?P=CNN&CID01=e50a6742-64d2-40d9-a834-bd1b60001ccc
Which, according to your statistics, might actually be an improvement.
Since the 90’s we have seen the rise of the rabid right. This group is the opposite to the loony left representing the worse of intolerance and greed that a society can generate. It’s most recognizable members are the fanatic neo-conservatives and right wing radio/TV hosts that spend their days spewing nothing but hatred and fear. While the mid-term election in 2006 may have represented the first backlash against the rabid right this year should see it strengthen.
This is happening because the center is; tired of the disconnect between promises and reality, angry at the hypocrisy and have had just about enough of the neo-conservative intolerance of other peoples views.
What a funny world we live in!
Makes me feel good that although I'm far from perfect, at least I hang out with intelligent people.
You're very right about what drove a lot of the culture moves, the backlashes and such. The likes of Charles Manson and Altamont did so much incredible damage to the peace movement. But looking back, those things could not really be contained or stopped; there's just too much evil in the world, and this IS the nation that commited genocide on the native Americans here.... We cant expect to be so lucky.
It should not be surprising that the great balance that seems to linger within that we as a nation are all striving for, especially those of us who seek peace, should take generations to reach.
But dammit, it's about time, now.
Other then the fact that they called you out, don't take things so personally. That's the knee-jerk reaction of children, not adults.
8:30pm
Alexandria, VA
I saw the CNN response and was stunned by its childishness.