CNN Trivializes Iraq and Hits a New Low

On Wednesday, Wolf Blitzer and CNN 's "Best Political Team on Television" took their vapid approach to journalism to a new level when reporter Jeanne Moos satirized demonstrations against the war in Iraq.

Tongue and cheek reports are Moos's specialty, but the idea that CNN would sic her on a demonstration against a war that is so serious, and has claimed so many thousands of lives is further proof that journalism -- and integrity -- is all but dead on commercial television news. See for yourself:

On Wednesday, thousands of people across the country took to the streets to decry the war that has caused at least 82,000 Iraqi civilian casualties, claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 American soldiers, and injured at least 29,000 more.

CNN's response? Cover it like a circus, give the pro-war protester as much airtime as her opponents even though she is outnumbered 250 to 1, and get right back to the current object of their obsession: horse-race style coverage of US elections, soft news and satire. Pew released a report last week showing that US media coverage of the war in Iraq is dropping sharply along with public awareness of what's actually happening in Iraq.

Most Americans are scarcely aware of the grisly reality of this war: what it really looks like, what it feels like for those fighting it, and what it's implications are on our economy, our society, and the world. That's because such complex information is missing from TV news: the place where majorities of Americans go for their primary news and information.

Wake up CNN. There's a war going on and it needs to be reported with the same seriousness that an American or Iraqi mother feels when her child comes home in a body bag.

There is an election, with millions of Americans who want to know where candidates actually stand on issues and how their voting records match their rhetoric; not how the comments of an outside supporter will affect this or that demographic.

Television news is a wasteland, and it's not just FOX. And if we don't fix it, we might as well just kiss our democracy goodbye.

Comments

[chinaskee]

Where's the satire ? Do you think CNN staged all of these circus acts ?

[mcfried]

I can't watch CNN anymore they are a joke. My least favorite is Blitzer he is either unbelievably stupid or unbelievably bias. It's become nuts they don't cover anything of real substance and on more than a few occasions I have watched the show and the entire thing is Clinton talking points I read on huffpo. All of CNN does it to some degree they don't report the news they are the Us Weekly of politics.

[NotBeatenYet]

Down deep, CNN is really superficial.

This is exactly what one should expect from CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein, who, no coincidence, writes screenplays in his spare time.

[HippieChick]

The only Iraq "coverage" I've noticed recently was a completely idiotic story on CNN about an Iraq fashion show! Once again, I found myself screaming at the screen in frustration. Like life is so back to "normal" the women of Iraq have time to be indulgent about fashion...­ridiculous­. Here's a fine example of how our valued "freedom of the press" is put to good use.

[Not Blind]

It's sad that our media (ALL networks) have surrendered their professionalism, integrity and independence to corporate-­controlled political and financial interests. Journalists are supposed to report FACTS, not blog or spew their "analysis" of things (ie. their personal opinions, or those of their corporate sponsors, much less those of politicians). Their job is to investigate, report the TRUTH, and stick to the facts of issues. Instead, they sensationalize trivia, while ignoring real issues that all Americans deal with daily: rising unemployment, soaring fuel prices, inflation, the toll of global warming and environmental issues, the pillaging of Social Security and medicare trust funds, the ubiquitous national debt and deficit-spending that will financially enslave each of us for generations, ALL ancilliary costs of and directly attributable to the Iraq war. Those costs, when coupled with our own moral authority (a war based upon lies, skewed or faulty intelligence), our ethics (condoning the use of torture, rape and murder), and legality (the loss of legal, civil and human rights within our country), added to the fact that we are no more safe or secure from terrorists than 7 years ago should inspire people to protest.
After 9/11, we began a war in Afghanistan, against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, which was justified, to hunt down Bin-Laden. By diverting our troops, funds, effort and attention to iraq (for oil, retaliation against Saddam Hussein) we have allowed Al-Qaeda to find safe haven in Pakistan, where they regroup, refortify, and recruit with impunity, support from locals (who hail them as heros). We've had several opportunities to capture or kill Bin-Laden, but squandered them due to lack of focus on the real culprits of the 9/11 attacks. Our pre-emptive strike, invasion and continued occupation of Iraq did not reduce or thwart Al-Qaeda, but did spawn new terrorist groups and insurgents to begin such activities in that nation (where they previously were not). By focusing on Iraq, we have actually helped, not hindered Al-Qaeda and Bin-Laden.
We were able to find Saddam Hussein (who never threatened or perpetrated any attacks on us) in a small bunker, behind a farmhouse yet our "intelligence" has not yet been able to locate Osama Bin-Laden, who master-minded the direct attacks on the WTC which killed more than 3,000 Americans on our soil.
While there was plenty of credible evidence of an impending, imminent attack in the months before 9/11, which the administration ignored, those same officials and "experts" readily siezed false information from an unreliable source "CurveBall" as the basis or justifications for beginning this war in Iraq. Even now that those reasons: WMD's, nuclear weapons, active terrorist groups in Iraq have all been publicly proven to be FALSE, there's little, if any scrutiny or accountability (towards the administration) for this.
That this war in Iraq has been mismanaged by incompetent party loyalists, no-bid private contractors (all with ties directly to the administration and many legislators), and the results have hampered our military efforts, and made the situation for our troops more precarious rather than efficient, expedient and promoted the stated objectives (establishing a democracy or political reconciliation and unity within, and providing revenues and services to the people of Iraq) have all been forsaken and forgotten. Other than a false sense of security in a few places (mostly due to the fact we are paying cash to insurgents not to kill our soldiers), there has been no improvement in terms of stability in the region, much less signs of a military victory. The financial costs of this war, due to overcharges by the contractors, illnesses, diseases, injuries and deaths to our troops caused by the contractors' failures to deliver appropriate (paid for) equipment, water, and the ire they've invoked amongst civilians there are immense.

[politicsnut]

Very well said. I don't watch CNN anymore. They have become Fox News.

[dolberg]

Did Jon Stewar not mock these same demonstrators?

[stop7997]

This is what Jeanne Moos seemed to be arguing in a piece posted on CNN video: "Jon Stewart did it too". Well, Jon Stewart is not news, it is entertainment. And CNN is, well, infotainment at best.

[Tator]

"Television news is a wasteland, and it's not just FOX. And if we don't fix it, we might as well just kiss our democracy goodbye."

We demand more "Hate America, Our troops are murderers and rapists, We Surrender, Islam is good Christianity is evil and please raise taxes" stories!!

[scrzbill]

You do have it right that christianity is evil.

[Nova16]

Michelle Lover fancies himself as the resident clearing house and purveyor of all comments with his personal views and opinions that override all others because he "knows" more than anyone. Bush and Clinton were both draft dodgers in their own way- let's get over it. The big difference is that during the 1990's this nation enjoyed the "Golden Age" in American history similar to the one in ancient Greece under Pericles. The economy was booming, 22 million new jobs were added to the rolls, the size of government reduced, a surplus created, the majority of citizens satisfied with the policies and programs of the government and America was respected around the world. With the Bush administration we have the age of " Incompetency and Corruption"--Attack on the country on 9/11 in which gross negligence became criminal negligence by the dolt, and then ignoring the real perpetrators, propagandizing lies, deceit and chicanery to start a phony war for greed and profit killing wounding and maiming tens of thousands and squandering hundred of billions of dollars and growing in the process, increasing the national debt by over 6 trillion dollars in seven years when it took 232 yrs of our previous history to accrue 3 triilion, divided the nation with his style of leadership, always favoring his "base", the economy is in shambles and the budget in deficit again and we are no longer respected around the world and have lost 3 million mfg jobs under Bush. I could go on but you can add to the list. Now, who wants lemonade?

[kae]

Every CNN story is a circus. CNN talks to American viewers like they are children. The MSM has become very entertaining lately, the stories they ignore have become big news without them and when they do try to 'represent' it is usually complete fluff. I guess instead of journalism school, MSM talking heads are tested as to whether or not they can continually keep a straight face as they dispense their slant and lies to American viewers. I am actually shocked that CNN televised a story about anti-war demonstrations. Do not watch CNN anymore but I bet they only ran the clip once.

I do find police behavior towards anti-war demonstrators a bit martial-lawish-and not just in this video clip there are many more on youtube - look for the one in Seattle. Interesting that Jeanne Moos fails to comment on this aspect of the story as protesters are literally dragged away in her view. So I guess we learned from Kent State that it's not a good idea to shoot protesters- so tasers,pepper spray and clubbing baby seal style have become the PC or more humane way of dealing with angry americans. Angry Americans that still have the right to be. The sad part is the woman in her car pissed off because the protesters are creating traffic. This is why Bush is getting away with it - most Americans are too busy dealing with the turmoil that is their own life in 2008 Bushland - Bernake really has done a fine job for the Bush/Neocon Agenda.

[Joeyjackal]

This reminds me of my own experience with CNN and reporting quality. I had sent an e-mail to their Sunday morning show Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. I had criticized generally the media coverage of the instance at a Kerry symposium at a Florida university where a maladroit student asking paraphrased questions 1,2, 3 & 4 as follows: 1.) Had he read Armed Madhourse by British journalist Greg Pallast? 2.) Why didn't he contest the 2004 Ohio results as he ought to have won the state and the presidency? 3.) Were there different standards for impeachment as Bush had innumerable and Clinton was impeached for equivocating about a sexual indiscretion & 4.) Were he and Bush both members of the Yale secret society Skull & Bones? He's rushed upon by security, subdued and not resisting still tased even then. The coverage was all about the taser, not the questions or the excellent book the student clasped from which rhe questions arose? Grudgingly, at broadcast end, there's a short partial of the questions, still nothing of the book and Howard Kurtz dismissing comment about "liberal diatribe." His own employer, the Post had earlier reported a "mysterious yellow book." That was much more informative than most MSM.

[Marlyn]

CNN, not much different than FOX.

I cancelled my cable TV five years ago, and I don't miss it one little bit.

[Michellelover]

Good idea. We can wait for cable until it becomes another government entitlement program

[dadw5boys]

I agree turning off the T V improves your life.

[tecpatl]

I'm right there with you. I used to be able to watch CNN but it has become just like Fox. I've had two cousins serve in Iraq and one is going back. This is NOT funny.

[hopeless277]

Support the troops, keep 'em in Iraq forever.

[hopeless277]

The war makes good TV. Good TV = good ratings. Good ratings=more money. CNN has a vested interest in keeping the occupation of Iraq going for as long as possible. War=money. As one goofus on PBS last night put it, 'The war actually helps the economy'. No followup discussion. Typical.

[CFDelehanty]

I did not see the video as a satire. It looked more like a sampling of the various acts which some American protesters do to demonstrate their anger and frustration with the American military presence in Iraq and their disgust with President Bush. It is sad that most Americans are against the so called "war" in Iraq, and the US government just continues to leave our troops their.

I recall watching Americans demonstrate in Washington D. C. against the Vietnam conflict in 1969 or 70. I lived one block from the action. We even let two protesting students, who were originally born in North Vietnam, to stay with us for the night before the big demo. That was the demo when thousands of protesters were illegally arrested by D. C. police. I thought when we finally got out of Nam that we had learned a lesson. It is in a song. You got to know when to hold em, and know when to fold em. Somehow we keep electing leaders who don't know how to play the game successfully.

[julianne]

After the Saudis and Saudi financiers, business associates and personal friends of powerful American families, bombed New York City, and during the leadup to the privatized Iraq invasion and the deaths of over a million Iraqi civilians, I turned off the major media other than a look while having a beer at the neighborhood tavern. The continuing consolidation of the media by the FCC has gone against the will of the people and the House and Senate in Washington and in every State Capitol. Over the past 30 years, a white professional class, dead-souled, hubris-ridden overclass has taken control of the major networks. They hang from the teat of the same syndicates that fund the private political institutions that promulgated the Iraq invasion and work assiduously to spread Orwellian dogma as they militarize and colonize the U.S. The disinformation has become so obvious that a majority of citizens probably would support the dismemberment of such grotesque institutions as CNN and, particulary, FOX News, which has far too much power for a democracy. We own these airwaves and our representatives have every right to pull the charter from under a major network or networks. Fascism is not free speech. This is one more reason why it is important for the Democrats to carry the Presidency, House, and Senate in the next election. The major media and their enablers in Washington have no idea of the revolutionary fervor that is out here against this whole violent, lying, corporate-fascist system.

[Michellelover]

One of the other posters said it was a mere 655,000 Iraqi deaths. Did 355,000 more get killed between the postings.

ABC reported on March 19th it was 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths. So have we intentionally murdered 900,000 Iraqi civilians since March 10th?

Let's not let facts get in the way of a good rant that fits the template.

Here is the link to ABC's story

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4458082&page=1

[MexRich]

Not only is her voice irritating, she is very difficult to look at. It is obvious she has no political awareness and is nothing more than tiresome lout.