This is what happens when billionaires control news. We've seen it happen at Fox, at Twitter, at Facebook and now at CNN. These conglomerations should be broken up and regulated.
“There ain’t nothing in the middle of the road but painted lines.” Why is it always the Democrats who are supposed to “move to the center” but never the Republicans? There is no center in right vs. wrong. Good article Mr. Reich, CNN is clueless.
CNN thought of its audience as equivalent counterparts to the far right audience of Fox. That was dead wrong. We’re not fanatics of any one personality. We favor democracy over any one person. Even if it’s a president.
So where does that leave CNN? Will it try to return to what it once was? I know I dropped it like a hot potato when they gave the orange maggot free air time. I don't intend on ever watching CNN again.
It is sad that YouTube has decided not to remove posts promoting election lies. Musk at Twitter has decided to promote Fascists like DeSantis and Trump.
Big Tech should be held accountable so that they don’t spread election lies and promote violence. Section 230 of Communications Decency Act should be amended accordingly.
Similarly the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated to restore fair reporting by broadcasters.
I still don’t understand why Licht, a network comedy talk-show show runner who also produced a morning chat show on MSNBC was given the leadership of a world wide news organization. Forget politics he was doomed from lack of skill set alone. He tried to dictate to world renown journalism professionals instead of listening and learning. Way over his head. When you add in his naïve assessment of “balanced” journalism and the pressure from John Malone who has a very questionable agenda, the guy was absolutely gonna fail horrendously and take down CNN with him. Malone deserves a lot of attention here for his terrible influence as does the Warners/Discovery CEO for both hiring Licht and allowing his absurd decisions which includes getting rid of journalists who were “too tough on Trump.” Those two men can’t hide behind Licht - a lot of CNN’s problems are on them too
For now. For me. CNN is suspect goods. It may be no better than Fox. It may be less authoritarian leaning. I don’t know. Neither do I care. Too little Time to waste on anything that could nudge this democracy closer to Crazy-town.
Since Licht's "heart and soul pouring" appeared to produce that catastrophic town hall, let's hope no other major network still labors under the misconception that there is still a middle ground in American politics with the wealth of rightwingnuts in office or running for same. I can't believe people think that is an option anymore.
For many years now, I have bounced between MSNBC and CNN, watching the latter mostly when MSNBC has gone to commercial. But lately, CNN is often disappointing and sometimes even boring. As for the so-called Trump "town hall," I can understand a broadcaster providing a forum for each and every presidential candidate in front of a range of prospective voters, both partisan and non-partisan. But the Trump town hall attendees were decidedly pro-Trump, which turned the event into an election rally -- one hour of free advertising for the leading Republican candidate. I watched only a few minutes of that broadcast, but didn't bother to tune into the one for Nikki Haley, which I assume was similarly configured. I can't imagine CNN's effort to become more centrist will appeal to anyone who currently prefers Fox News, but it will definitely drive away progressives like me.
The real reason Is that dumping your existing audience in order to grasp at gaining a new audience (that really doesn't want to listen to you anyway) is stupid.
“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy: that is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”
I closely read the Atlantic piece and Chris Licht and David Zaslav seem cut from the same cloth and the Atlantic documents that in spades. John Malone, like so many billionaire boys with their media toys, merely dabbles.
The lesson, worth remembering here, is that "The boys throw rocks in jest, but the frogs die in earnest".
Thanks for leading us through the funhouse of mirrors and the players from Gingrich to Trump -- with flashbacks from Father Coughlin through McCarthy. It reminds us that there is a lesson to be learned about each and about how they would burn democracy to the ground -- until they "could get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub".
This is what happens when billionaires control news. We've seen it happen at Fox, at Twitter, at Facebook and now at CNN. These conglomerations should be broken up and regulated.
“There ain’t nothing in the middle of the road but painted lines.” Why is it always the Democrats who are supposed to “move to the center” but never the Republicans? There is no center in right vs. wrong. Good article Mr. Reich, CNN is clueless.
My only comment is "thank you".
It helps to hear something that we all feel stated so clearly.
CNN thought of its audience as equivalent counterparts to the far right audience of Fox. That was dead wrong. We’re not fanatics of any one personality. We favor democracy over any one person. Even if it’s a president.
So where does that leave CNN? Will it try to return to what it once was? I know I dropped it like a hot potato when they gave the orange maggot free air time. I don't intend on ever watching CNN again.
Well said. Agreed.
It is sad that YouTube has decided not to remove posts promoting election lies. Musk at Twitter has decided to promote Fascists like DeSantis and Trump.
Big Tech should be held accountable so that they don’t spread election lies and promote violence. Section 230 of Communications Decency Act should be amended accordingly.
Similarly the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated to restore fair reporting by broadcasters.
I’ve blocked CNN from all my news feeds and never click on any of their videos on youTube anymore - they’ve lost me.
I still don’t understand why Licht, a network comedy talk-show show runner who also produced a morning chat show on MSNBC was given the leadership of a world wide news organization. Forget politics he was doomed from lack of skill set alone. He tried to dictate to world renown journalism professionals instead of listening and learning. Way over his head. When you add in his naïve assessment of “balanced” journalism and the pressure from John Malone who has a very questionable agenda, the guy was absolutely gonna fail horrendously and take down CNN with him. Malone deserves a lot of attention here for his terrible influence as does the Warners/Discovery CEO for both hiring Licht and allowing his absurd decisions which includes getting rid of journalists who were “too tough on Trump.” Those two men can’t hide behind Licht - a lot of CNN’s problems are on them too
CNN got Tucker punched.
For now. For me. CNN is suspect goods. It may be no better than Fox. It may be less authoritarian leaning. I don’t know. Neither do I care. Too little Time to waste on anything that could nudge this democracy closer to Crazy-town.
Since Licht's "heart and soul pouring" appeared to produce that catastrophic town hall, let's hope no other major network still labors under the misconception that there is still a middle ground in American politics with the wealth of rightwingnuts in office or running for same. I can't believe people think that is an option anymore.
Media that depends on corporate advertising will never be objective.
For many years now, I have bounced between MSNBC and CNN, watching the latter mostly when MSNBC has gone to commercial. But lately, CNN is often disappointing and sometimes even boring. As for the so-called Trump "town hall," I can understand a broadcaster providing a forum for each and every presidential candidate in front of a range of prospective voters, both partisan and non-partisan. But the Trump town hall attendees were decidedly pro-Trump, which turned the event into an election rally -- one hour of free advertising for the leading Republican candidate. I watched only a few minutes of that broadcast, but didn't bother to tune into the one for Nikki Haley, which I assume was similarly configured. I can't imagine CNN's effort to become more centrist will appeal to anyone who currently prefers Fox News, but it will definitely drive away progressives like me.
The real reason Is that dumping your existing audience in order to grasp at gaining a new audience (that really doesn't want to listen to you anyway) is stupid.
“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy: that is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”
- John Kenneth Galbraith
or, simply "I've got mine, so f'ck you!"
I closely read the Atlantic piece and Chris Licht and David Zaslav seem cut from the same cloth and the Atlantic documents that in spades. John Malone, like so many billionaire boys with their media toys, merely dabbles.
The lesson, worth remembering here, is that "The boys throw rocks in jest, but the frogs die in earnest".
Thanks for leading us through the funhouse of mirrors and the players from Gingrich to Trump -- with flashbacks from Father Coughlin through McCarthy. It reminds us that there is a lesson to be learned about each and about how they would burn democracy to the ground -- until they "could get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub".