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.
The idea that cable news can’t be regulated and/or isn’t subject to FCC rules about content is a wide-
spread, but false belief:
“The FCC has the authority and tools to combat this problem in broadcast and cable news. The FCC has chosen not to enforce its rules, while certain “news” programs increasingly obscure facts, or worse. As the nation gradually recovers from the ravages of the pandemic, this is an apt moment to reaffirm the FCC’s obligation to serve the public interest. The FCC should engage in a renewed effort to combat false statements of facts, cloaked as opinions or other nonregulated speech, across broadcast and cable television news media.”
“Within the confines of the First Amendment, the FCC is able to regulate news content in two ways: first, through its news distortion policy, and second, through its rule against broadcast hoaxes.”
“The FCC’s policy against news distortion allows the agency to revoke broadcast licenses when there is evidence that management-level employees deliberately intended to mislead the public about a significant event.”
Source: “Worse than a Wasteland: Protecting Consumers of Cable “News” in the Public Interest”
Well of COURSE you are correct. We "just" need both the political will to enact new remedial legislation AND regulatory tools, depoliticized, to enforce it.
Go Susan. That's exactly what the FCC needs to do. They also need to classify such programs as Alex Jones' radio show and most of Fox News as "obscenity", which is not protected by the First Amendment.
I agree. I'm in my mid-70's and I grieve for my granddaughter. She's very aware and I wouldn't be surprised if she chooses not to procreate. I shudder to think of the set of values she's going to have to deal with.
Yespat, however, it is pretty irresponsible to leave to the upcoming generations such a horrific mess. We should be able to do better and could if we could motivate government agencies to do their jobs and if we could get the Supreme Court expanded sufficiently to nullify the current ultra-right-wing 6 who have decided they can amend our Constitution with no approval from anyone else, well, except the right-wingers who have purchased them.
I understand what you are saying. I am deeply thankful that, at age 42, I was finally blessed with a precious daughter. However, on one level I am relieved for the sake of my grandchildren-who-could-have-been that they would not have to suffer what might lie ahead. Having said that, I know that I would be WAAAAYYY beyond ecstatic to have grandchildren. Maybe someday.
News has always been sponsored, so you can't really say that the corporations didn't make money on news. But there were a limited number of networks to regulate. How do you regulate todays media content? It's everywhere, like broken glass with some bigger pieces and the rest in shards. I would love to see something like the "fairness doctrine" return, but I can't imagine how it would look or even how it might e enforced.
In the 1980's when cable started. There were NO commercials. They were HAPPY with what they made. Then GREED came into the scene.. And that ended. with countless commercials filling half the shows. And YOU still pay for it dearly.
I've been very vocal about the lack of control by the FCC for many years. When I was a child, in the 60's, people complained about the extreme loudness of commercials vrs. programs, and it was fixed almost immediately. Now the FCC is worthless. Commercials are back to being LOUD!
The big picture is that ALL corporations should be heavily regulated, in order to break up monopolies, redistribute taxes into useful things like roads, and schools (Adam Smith), while saving us from stupid things like destroying our unique planet, and rocket trips to Mars.
That's the way it was 40 years ago, before Reagan, and before the oxymoron that the wealthy shouldn't have to pay much in the way of taxes.
I happen to know, I came to this country in 1978, just in time for that smiling, demented, horse's ass, and I've witnessed the steady, slow, disintegration of the country I fell in love with.
Reverse that demented fucker Reagan.....it's really not not difficult.
Anyone whom REALLY understands what Ayn Rand was trying to convey in Atlas Shrugged would absolutely agree with your response.
The super rich twist and turn her eloquent argument against the idle rich to avoid their undeniable Capitalistic responsibility. Those whom have, and continue to evade huge amounts amounts of their fair taxes by buying politicians and tax lawyers will go down in history as evil and hopefully the Karma they earn will come to fruition. At the very least, their progeny will reap what they have sown.
That is why I have NEVER watched cable news! Since my political awakening in 2015 as Bunkerboy threatened my life to cuts to my SSD, Medicare and Medicaid that blessedly never came, I realized how important politics are. (I'm only 35, but fought for almost a decade to get all that after my TBI in my early 20s.)
Just for starters. And it is critical to stop letting fascists control the airwaves. Without their removal, it is very hard to move out of fascist rule!
I get news from a mixed media diet light on TV but became a regular CNN viewer during the turbulence of the past few years, not because its coverage seemed "left" but because it was doing some damn fine journalism in exceptional circumstances: Trump's chaotic reign, a global pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and ensuing protests, Russia's war on Ukraine -- all within a news-media environment increasingly befouled by internet-based delirium and malice. If CNN execs and their corporate lords want less ranting and more droning straight-news (an ironic reversal of the "Network" transformation of Howard Beale), great; research shows the audience agrees. If they choose to ignore journalism's reckoning with the false-balance frame and continue to give a bad-faith, authoritarian minority far more than its fair share of "equal time," we're forewarned. But why should any of that necessitate devaluing fact-based reasoned analysis and transparently disclosed opinion journalism, the nuanced discussion we need in order to understand complex events and issues? From the little I've tried to watch since John Malone made CNN his "Fixer Upper", much of it looks and sounds like local live-at-five-style banter, not "actual journalism" from a major international news org. It's odd and alarming to see a journalist like Sara Sidner - whose first-hand coverage of protests following George Floyd's killing showed she has a spine of steel and is one of our finest news pros - trapped in a studio doing "upbeat" morning fluff and area-man-bites-dog fodder. If Malone and his hired guns define this as "actual journalism," is it any wonder they keep trying to frame Donald Trump as "just another candidate"? If they really want to do journalism, they might start by "fixing up" the corporate-news tendency to avoid scrutiny of real power, such as lobbyists and front groups obstructing our ability to ensure the public good through regulation. Or financial powers such as the speculative investors who created the current housing crisis, many the same bad actors who caused the 2008 crash (ahem, Blackstone). Sure, ditch the cry-wolf "Breaking News" banner and 24/7 drumbeat of "Trump, Trump, Trump". But don't cast aside new viewers like me in a vain bid for the fascist audience. Which reminds me: whoever replaces Licht at CNN, it's time to treat your audience like grown ups. Stop calling it "populism" and use the f-word, already. Because it is actual fascism.
The wealthy have always had their hand in it. Our democracy survived the likes of William Randolph Hearst only because few Americans take the press as gospel. Sadly we now live in an age where more people seem to be needing to be told what to think.
This is what is has been coming down to. The rich right slowly taking over after pernicious moves during the past decades. It's like slowly boiling a frog.
Tucker remains a lawsuit waiting to happen. Possibly can be prosecuted for aiding, abetting and giving cover to insurrectionists. Lots of contingent civil defamation cases.
“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.
I think the quote about “middle of the road” was by a Texas Democrat Jim Hightower who wrote a book entitled: “There’s nothing in the middle of the road except painted lines and dead armadillos.”
I live in Texas and it seems to be true BUT not for voters - there are still many MOR people here - independents - who WANT to vote MOR but have no MOR choices at the polls. Many of them just don’t vote - hard core voters vote in primaries and don’t nominate MOR candidates - the only solution would be for MOR voters to really go to the primary polls and I don’t know why that does not happen. Maybe it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy and they just don’t have the MOR candidate selection that they used to have.
Money is your answer. Although there was a BIG miscalculation this time on what would bring more revenue. Actually, based on knowledge of the new "Libertarian" ownership, I think this was a personal decision on corporate's part.
I heard it as "Ain't nothing in the middle of the road but a yellow line and dead armadillos"—and it was Jim Hightower who said it in response to Centrist NeoLiberal Democrats.
Hard not to when all the sponsors are corporate, and what you can say is therefore limited, and how much money you get from your corporate sponsors is based on ratings, encouraging sensationaliziing . t's bad!
If Exxon funds cancer research that proves that the pollution they cause is not related to cancer, and Exxon sponsors the news, is there any chance we're going to hear news that's fully covers the truth. If I point that out does that mean I'm an angry person? (Or anti-science for that matter?).
If Steve Donziger sues Chevron for destroying the Amazon by dumping toxins, and he wins, and then gets placed in jail by a Chevron attorney arguing before a judge who has Chevron ties...does well in jail, befriending his cellmates, but comes out still asking for justice. Is he an angry person? Will we expect to hear his story on a news show sponsored by Chevron?
I listen to his story, and it does not make me happy that that's the way things are, but I would not consider myself an angry person, just a person who wants to name the truth because we need to face the truth if we want to make changes.
Lynn--There is a distinction between angry and inquisitive. One is a waste of time the other has a possible positive ending. It's always a good idea the seek the truth, even if it hurts.
I think they should stick to around-the-world, in-the-field news reports, like we used to see in airports. And documentaries. They've had some good ones. I like Fareed, & Anderson Cooper's new The Whole Story. Not going back to the blah, blah, blah all day. They missed the boat.
As a proud progressive, I'm a great fan of MSNBC (though I believe they could be more helpful publicizing local organizations). But for the last few years, CNN has filled a need for political coverage that's less committed to overt advocacy. I like to know what ordinary Republicans are doing, and even what the crazies are saying, without tuning in to Fox.
What new management apparently didn't realize is that CNN was already centrist. Ratings problems aren't always about your position on the left/right spectrum. Sometimes it's just about editorial decisions, personalities, scheduling, etc. Even graphics and sound can attract or repel an audience. (Please, no more "Breaking News" banners with dramatic fanfares!!)
I sincerely hope CNN recovers and finds a place somewhere between the advocacy channels and CSPAN.
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.
Zucker bragged about how much money he raked in during the candidacy of the Orange Sadist, saying that "he'll never win. Meanwhile look how much money we are making!" He is one of many responsible for democracy's currently dangerous position.
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
Totally correct! He was given a directive from Zaslav/Malone and expected to make it work, hanging on the assumption that they needed to move further more to the made-up “center”. Lichtenstein was set up to fail, no matter what he did. Zucker was right about the audience demographic, in that it was made up of folks that believed in democracy. You can’t measure that demographic in left or right numbers.
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.
Geriatric "left???" PROGRESSivism is the future . . . old man? The right is on life support that will very soon run out!
The Democratic party can easily handle President Biden's death, but the Trumplican party, (it SMOTHERED the "Republican party"), WILL NOT be able to handle Dear Leader Trump's imminent demise.
As that morbidly obese, twice-impeached, once-indicted career criminal regularly says: sad!
I HARDLY think Reich is part of the problem. His presence here proves he wants to be part of the solution. Have you read his books? Have you watched his class lectures shared here??? You show your ignorance. Reich's age and, more importantly, his roles in politics (Labor Secretary) gives added weight and authority to what he says. He has been plenty tough on the Democratic Party.
And there lies the rub. That’s why I like The Guardian, Christian Science Monitor, The Intercept, Democracy Now. Notice how mainstream corporate media barely covered the Patriot Act renewal?
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.
Leftists and PROGRESSives have independent media like our own Professor Reich, Farron Cousins, David Pakman, Brian Taylor Cohen and others. They also have MSNBC to a lesser extent.
Rightists and REGRESSives have FOX. To a SIGNIFICANTLY lesser extent they have OWN and the other dying network I can never remember.
CNN has . . . NOTHING and NO ONE anymore. There ARE no "centrists" anymore pretty much.
You, and those of Robert Reich's ilk, are part of the problem with our country's political climate. MSNBC is a radicalized network much in the same way that Fox News is. At least CNN, however clumsy, gave an attempt to be impartial.
But it wasn’t impartial due to the studio audience being stacked with extreme Trump supporters who were allowed to boisterously act out their fandom. It turned it into a Trump infomercial/campaign rally. If there’d been no studio audience it would have had a better shot at coming off objective
I am not part of anyone's "ilk"; I listen to all viewpoints, and make up my own mind. As a regular viewer of MSNBC, I appreciate how often their hosts invite a variety of guests to participate so that all sides of the issues are represented. However, many conservatives either refuse those invitations or, if they do participate, they talk over the voices of both interviewers and other guests. If you think the Trump "town hall" broadcast by CNN was "an attempt to be impartial," you are clearly not impartial yourself. And finally, I sometimes tune into Fox News just to see what they're saying and consider their conservative viewpoints; I usually have to tune out quickly because that network airs and promotes far too many lies and conspiracy theories.
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".
Great metaphor. Re Malone : while he may only dabble - and I don’t know that I agree since he can and does influence policy - apparently this push to the middle has come from him - he has a very, very powerful seat at the table being on the Board. Zaslav is still an employee.
I’ve no time to watch a “centerist” news broadcast — one that paints a picture of Bothsides-ism. To me, it appears that the USA is in the position of Germany in 1932. Let’s urge our Democratic representatives to defend democracy; we know the Republicans and their media outlets won’t.
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.
This is what happens when the FCC doesn't regulate.
Which they can no longer do, thanks to repugnicant-sponsored rescindment of the Fairness Doctrine.
The idea that cable news can’t be regulated and/or isn’t subject to FCC rules about content is a wide-
spread, but false belief:
“The FCC has the authority and tools to combat this problem in broadcast and cable news. The FCC has chosen not to enforce its rules, while certain “news” programs increasingly obscure facts, or worse. As the nation gradually recovers from the ravages of the pandemic, this is an apt moment to reaffirm the FCC’s obligation to serve the public interest. The FCC should engage in a renewed effort to combat false statements of facts, cloaked as opinions or other nonregulated speech, across broadcast and cable television news media.”
“Within the confines of the First Amendment, the FCC is able to regulate news content in two ways: first, through its news distortion policy, and second, through its rule against broadcast hoaxes.”
“The FCC’s policy against news distortion allows the agency to revoke broadcast licenses when there is evidence that management-level employees deliberately intended to mislead the public about a significant event.”
Source: “Worse than a Wasteland: Protecting Consumers of Cable “News” in the Public Interest”
By Marie Fang, Elana Handelman, and Lucia Radder
August 04, 2021, americanbar.org
Well of COURSE you are correct. We "just" need both the political will to enact new remedial legislation AND regulatory tools, depoliticized, to enforce it.
Go Susan. That's exactly what the FCC needs to do. They also need to classify such programs as Alex Jones' radio show and most of Fox News as "obscenity", which is not protected by the First Amendment.
Thank you!
Well it USED to. Until they cut the legs, arms, and tongue, off of the FCC.
Fairness doctrine never applied to cable. But for sure we need a new one that DOES!
They have been playing the long game. It looks like they have won, or at least the odds are very much in their favor in 2024.
Terrifies me!
Me too. It’s times like this that make me glad that i am old and have no progeny.
I agree. I'm in my mid-70's and I grieve for my granddaughter. She's very aware and I wouldn't be surprised if she chooses not to procreate. I shudder to think of the set of values she's going to have to deal with.
Yespat, however, it is pretty irresponsible to leave to the upcoming generations such a horrific mess. We should be able to do better and could if we could motivate government agencies to do their jobs and if we could get the Supreme Court expanded sufficiently to nullify the current ultra-right-wing 6 who have decided they can amend our Constitution with no approval from anyone else, well, except the right-wingers who have purchased them.
I understand what you are saying. I am deeply thankful that, at age 42, I was finally blessed with a precious daughter. However, on one level I am relieved for the sake of my grandchildren-who-could-have-been that they would not have to suffer what might lie ahead. Having said that, I know that I would be WAAAAYYY beyond ecstatic to have grandchildren. Maybe someday.
Me too. I see no reason to bring kids into a world that does not want any.
News has always been sponsored, so you can't really say that the corporations didn't make money on news. But there were a limited number of networks to regulate. How do you regulate todays media content? It's everywhere, like broken glass with some bigger pieces and the rest in shards. I would love to see something like the "fairness doctrine" return, but I can't imagine how it would look or even how it might e enforced.
In the 1980's when cable started. There were NO commercials. They were HAPPY with what they made. Then GREED came into the scene.. And that ended. with countless commercials filling half the shows. And YOU still pay for it dearly.
Here some vintage commercials from 1950 through 1980.
The networks were paid by sponsors for content. The fact that they took a loss on news programming doesn't change that.
I've been very vocal about the lack of control by the FCC for many years. When I was a child, in the 60's, people complained about the extreme loudness of commercials vrs. programs, and it was fixed almost immediately. Now the FCC is worthless. Commercials are back to being LOUD!
FCC doesn't regulate cable. It only regulates public airwaves.
So are you saying nothing on cable is regulated? Might not be the FCC but there has to be something.
Didn't have to be limited to "broadcasts." The actually ruled that they would give cable, social media a pass.
What FCC!?? Ronn REgun took that away a LONG time ago.
Chuck, who is gleefully repeating lies please?
No he isn't. The FCC has shirked its responsibility for decades, as has the SEC. Try reading.
The big picture is that ALL corporations should be heavily regulated, in order to break up monopolies, redistribute taxes into useful things like roads, and schools (Adam Smith), while saving us from stupid things like destroying our unique planet, and rocket trips to Mars.
That's the way it was 40 years ago, before Reagan, and before the oxymoron that the wealthy shouldn't have to pay much in the way of taxes.
I happen to know, I came to this country in 1978, just in time for that smiling, demented, horse's ass, and I've witnessed the steady, slow, disintegration of the country I fell in love with.
Reverse that demented fucker Reagan.....it's really not not difficult.
Anyone whom REALLY understands what Ayn Rand was trying to convey in Atlas Shrugged would absolutely agree with your response.
The super rich twist and turn her eloquent argument against the idle rich to avoid their undeniable Capitalistic responsibility. Those whom have, and continue to evade huge amounts amounts of their fair taxes by buying politicians and tax lawyers will go down in history as evil and hopefully the Karma they earn will come to fruition. At the very least, their progeny will reap what they have sown.
Ayn Rand: Human worth is measured by the dollar.
Yes!
That is why I have NEVER watched cable news! Since my political awakening in 2015 as Bunkerboy threatened my life to cuts to my SSD, Medicare and Medicaid that blessedly never came, I realized how important politics are. (I'm only 35, but fought for almost a decade to get all that after my TBI in my early 20s.)
Yes, and public funded, like they do in other countries.
Right on. This is on John Malone. It always comes from the top.
Just for starters. And it is critical to stop letting fascists control the airwaves. Without their removal, it is very hard to move out of fascist rule!
That's what happens when you elect Democrats!
I get news from a mixed media diet light on TV but became a regular CNN viewer during the turbulence of the past few years, not because its coverage seemed "left" but because it was doing some damn fine journalism in exceptional circumstances: Trump's chaotic reign, a global pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and ensuing protests, Russia's war on Ukraine -- all within a news-media environment increasingly befouled by internet-based delirium and malice. If CNN execs and their corporate lords want less ranting and more droning straight-news (an ironic reversal of the "Network" transformation of Howard Beale), great; research shows the audience agrees. If they choose to ignore journalism's reckoning with the false-balance frame and continue to give a bad-faith, authoritarian minority far more than its fair share of "equal time," we're forewarned. But why should any of that necessitate devaluing fact-based reasoned analysis and transparently disclosed opinion journalism, the nuanced discussion we need in order to understand complex events and issues? From the little I've tried to watch since John Malone made CNN his "Fixer Upper", much of it looks and sounds like local live-at-five-style banter, not "actual journalism" from a major international news org. It's odd and alarming to see a journalist like Sara Sidner - whose first-hand coverage of protests following George Floyd's killing showed she has a spine of steel and is one of our finest news pros - trapped in a studio doing "upbeat" morning fluff and area-man-bites-dog fodder. If Malone and his hired guns define this as "actual journalism," is it any wonder they keep trying to frame Donald Trump as "just another candidate"? If they really want to do journalism, they might start by "fixing up" the corporate-news tendency to avoid scrutiny of real power, such as lobbyists and front groups obstructing our ability to ensure the public good through regulation. Or financial powers such as the speculative investors who created the current housing crisis, many the same bad actors who caused the 2008 crash (ahem, Blackstone). Sure, ditch the cry-wolf "Breaking News" banner and 24/7 drumbeat of "Trump, Trump, Trump". But don't cast aside new viewers like me in a vain bid for the fascist audience. Which reminds me: whoever replaces Licht at CNN, it's time to treat your audience like grown ups. Stop calling it "populism" and use the f-word, already. Because it is actual fascism.
Where’s Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?!
The wealthy have always had their hand in it. Our democracy survived the likes of William Randolph Hearst only because few Americans take the press as gospel. Sadly we now live in an age where more people seem to be needing to be told what to think.
This is what is has been coming down to. The rich right slowly taking over after pernicious moves during the past decades. It's like slowly boiling a frog.
You want a right-wing FCC "regulating" the news?
Tucker remains a lawsuit waiting to happen. Possibly can be prosecuted for aiding, abetting and giving cover to insurrectionists. Lots of contingent civil defamation cases.
“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.
I think the quote about “middle of the road” was by a Texas Democrat Jim Hightower who wrote a book entitled: “There’s nothing in the middle of the road except painted lines and dead armadillos.”
Spot on!
I live in Texas and it seems to be true BUT not for voters - there are still many MOR people here - independents - who WANT to vote MOR but have no MOR choices at the polls. Many of them just don’t vote - hard core voters vote in primaries and don’t nominate MOR candidates - the only solution would be for MOR voters to really go to the primary polls and I don’t know why that does not happen. Maybe it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy and they just don’t have the MOR candidate selection that they used to have.
Money is your answer. Although there was a BIG miscalculation this time on what would bring more revenue. Actually, based on knowledge of the new "Libertarian" ownership, I think this was a personal decision on corporate's part.
I heard it as "Ain't nothing in the middle of the road but a yellow line and dead armadillos"—and it was Jim Hightower who said it in response to Centrist NeoLiberal Democrats.
My only comment is "thank you".
It helps to hear something that we all feel stated so clearly.
CNN is on a death spiral, good bye to rubbish, imo
The lesson is an easy one, don't make the news a political weapon.
Hard not to when all the sponsors are corporate, and what you can say is therefore limited, and how much money you get from your corporate sponsors is based on ratings, encouraging sensationaliziing . t's bad!
Lynn--Why are you so angry?
If Exxon funds cancer research that proves that the pollution they cause is not related to cancer, and Exxon sponsors the news, is there any chance we're going to hear news that's fully covers the truth. If I point that out does that mean I'm an angry person? (Or anti-science for that matter?).
If Steve Donziger sues Chevron for destroying the Amazon by dumping toxins, and he wins, and then gets placed in jail by a Chevron attorney arguing before a judge who has Chevron ties...does well in jail, befriending his cellmates, but comes out still asking for justice. Is he an angry person? Will we expect to hear his story on a news show sponsored by Chevron?
I listen to his story, and it does not make me happy that that's the way things are, but I would not consider myself an angry person, just a person who wants to name the truth because we need to face the truth if we want to make changes.
Lynn--There is a distinction between angry and inquisitive. One is a waste of time the other has a possible positive ending. It's always a good idea the seek the truth, even if it hurts.
I think they should stick to around-the-world, in-the-field news reports, like we used to see in airports. And documentaries. They've had some good ones. I like Fareed, & Anderson Cooper's new The Whole Story. Not going back to the blah, blah, blah all day. They missed the boat.
Kim--And it was the Titanic.
I mourn the decline of CNN.
As a proud progressive, I'm a great fan of MSNBC (though I believe they could be more helpful publicizing local organizations). But for the last few years, CNN has filled a need for political coverage that's less committed to overt advocacy. I like to know what ordinary Republicans are doing, and even what the crazies are saying, without tuning in to Fox.
What new management apparently didn't realize is that CNN was already centrist. Ratings problems aren't always about your position on the left/right spectrum. Sometimes it's just about editorial decisions, personalities, scheduling, etc. Even graphics and sound can attract or repel an audience. (Please, no more "Breaking News" banners with dramatic fanfares!!)
I sincerely hope CNN recovers and finds a place somewhere between the advocacy channels and CSPAN.
.
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.
True. But did they "think" at all? Ir was it just the money? And survival in a time when they have become obselete in "news".
I certainly think we should.
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.
And guess who was in charge when Trump got free air time??? Zucker. The problem is the money. Money now determines what is considered newsworthy.
Zucker bragged about how much money he raked in during the candidacy of the Orange Sadist, saying that "he'll never win. Meanwhile look how much money we are making!" He is one of many responsible for democracy's currently dangerous position.
So CNN got ZUCKER PUNCHED??
Good one!
There’s something terribly wrong when corporations, especially media corps, decide to do whatever makes the most money for them even if
it results in the destruction of our democracy, not to mention contributing to the demise of civility among
the population.
Capitalism is always anti human
And money is a big part of who gets elected to public office.
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
My guess is those decisions weren't "allowed", they were expected. Licht is better than what you saw. He was asked to do a henchman's errand.
Totally correct! He was given a directive from Zaslav/Malone and expected to make it work, hanging on the assumption that they needed to move further more to the made-up “center”. Lichtenstein was set up to fail, no matter what he did. Zucker was right about the audience demographic, in that it was made up of folks that believed in democracy. You can’t measure that demographic in left or right numbers.
I bet you’re right about that. He’ll be the fall guy for the billionaires’ evil plans, and suffer the consequences.
CNN got Tucker punched.
Maybe, if we're lucky, Professor Reich will create a cartoon for your punchline!
Sucker punched = CNN cocked.
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.
IMHO the corporate auditors probably reported that by airing defamation, CNN has contingent liabilities just like Fox. Thus shift blame.
Geriatric "left???" PROGRESSivism is the future . . . old man? The right is on life support that will very soon run out!
The Democratic party can easily handle President Biden's death, but the Trumplican party, (it SMOTHERED the "Republican party"), WILL NOT be able to handle Dear Leader Trump's imminent demise.
As that morbidly obese, twice-impeached, once-indicted career criminal regularly says: sad!
I HARDLY think Reich is part of the problem. His presence here proves he wants to be part of the solution. Have you read his books? Have you watched his class lectures shared here??? You show your ignorance. Reich's age and, more importantly, his roles in politics (Labor Secretary) gives added weight and authority to what he says. He has been plenty tough on the Democratic Party.
Fox News viewers literally dying off. Tour the Villages.
ARE you just a Troll for RFK jr??
Evidently.
And there lies the rub. That’s why I like The Guardian, Christian Science Monitor, The Intercept, Democracy Now. Notice how mainstream corporate media barely covered the Patriot Act renewal?
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.
Leftists and PROGRESSives have independent media like our own Professor Reich, Farron Cousins, David Pakman, Brian Taylor Cohen and others. They also have MSNBC to a lesser extent.
Rightists and REGRESSives have FOX. To a SIGNIFICANTLY lesser extent they have OWN and the other dying network I can never remember.
CNN has . . . NOTHING and NO ONE anymore. There ARE no "centrists" anymore pretty much.
You, and those of Robert Reich's ilk, are part of the problem with our country's political climate. MSNBC is a radicalized network much in the same way that Fox News is. At least CNN, however clumsy, gave an attempt to be impartial.
But it wasn’t impartial due to the studio audience being stacked with extreme Trump supporters who were allowed to boisterously act out their fandom. It turned it into a Trump infomercial/campaign rally. If there’d been no studio audience it would have had a better shot at coming off objective
I am not part of anyone's "ilk"; I listen to all viewpoints, and make up my own mind. As a regular viewer of MSNBC, I appreciate how often their hosts invite a variety of guests to participate so that all sides of the issues are represented. However, many conservatives either refuse those invitations or, if they do participate, they talk over the voices of both interviewers and other guests. If you think the Trump "town hall" broadcast by CNN was "an attempt to be impartial," you are clearly not impartial yourself. And finally, I sometimes tune into Fox News just to see what they're saying and consider their conservative viewpoints; I usually have to tune out quickly because that network airs and promotes far too many lies and conspiracy theories.
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".
Great metaphor. Re Malone : while he may only dabble - and I don’t know that I agree since he can and does influence policy - apparently this push to the middle has come from him - he has a very, very powerful seat at the table being on the Board. Zaslav is still an employee.
I’ve no time to watch a “centerist” news broadcast — one that paints a picture of Bothsides-ism. To me, it appears that the USA is in the position of Germany in 1932. Let’s urge our Democratic representatives to defend democracy; we know the Republicans and their media outlets won’t.
Anyone using "many sidesisms" are worthless! (I edited your phrase to keep with the more modern "Trumpism" pronouncement.)
One side wants DEMOCRACY. One side wants FACISM. PERIOD.
Hear Hearv
So called journalism better up it’s purported adherence to transparency and reject whataboutism. News.