CNN Staffers 'Demoralized' by Hiring of GOP Operative Sarah Isgur to Edit 2020 Coverage

[babylonsister]

CNN Staffers ‘Demoralized’ by Hiring of GOP Operative Sarah Isgur to Edit 2020 Coverage

The former Jeff Sessions flack has zero journalistic experience and yet she is tasked with guiding CNN’s 2020 reporting. CNN staffers and media critics alike are not pleased.
Maxwell Tani
02.19.19 5:47 PM ET


CNN staffers are upset and confused about the network’s decision to hire a partisan political operative to oversee its 2020 campaign reporting.

On Tuesday, a CNN spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Beast that the network has hired Republican political adviser Sarah Isgur as the politics editor helming CNN’s 2020 coverage. The move was first reported by Politico.

Throughout her decade-long career in Republican politics, Isgur has served as an adviser to Ted Cruz and Mitt Romney, and was Carly Fiorina’s deputy campaign manager for the 2016 Republican primary. Until last year, Isgur was a top spokesperson for then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Department of Justice.

A CNN spokesperson said Isgur will not be involved in the network’s DOJ coverage, but will guide TV and digital coverage of the 2020 election, occasionally offering on-screen analysis.

The hiring was met with a negative internal reaction, especially because many CNN staffers have been largely left in the dark on the controversial decision. While other marquee hires are often announced internally, as of Tuesday afternoon the company has not circulated any guidance to staff about Isgur’s new role, leading employees to wonder how much of a role she will have in day-to-day political reporting.

“It’s extremely demoralizing for everyone here,” one network editorial staffer told The Daily Beast.

“People are generally confused,” another editorial employee said, adding that the decision to hire a partisan operative for an editorial position comes off as “very bizarre.”

more...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-staffers-demoralized-by-hiring-of-gop-operative-sarah-isgur-to-oversee-2020-coverage

[Cha]

1. Fucking brassuits @cnn.

[Achilleaze]

2. CNN made a move poisonous to truth and democracy

Poisonous...

[radius777]

3. This is serious

CNN was terrible as it is in 2016, basically promoted Trump daily, bashed Hillary, etc.

We already have Faux to deal with, we can't have another unabashed RW channel trying to bring down our candidates.

We're already losing in talk radio, social media, etc - this is how we lose the game... ugh.

[Dennis Donovan]

4. Is there a Saudi angle to this?

Do they own any of CNN? There's something just so "off" about this...

[rurallib]

13. IIRC some Saudi prince owns a chunk of Fox

someone here will probably know

[democrank]

5. Maybe Matt Schlapp could have Chris Cuomo's prime time spot while they're at it.

Hiring Isgur makes no sense.

[True Blue American]

15. Ari had Matt on last night. I am getting a little tired of his Both Sides crap.

There is no truth in the people he puts on.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. JFC! This one backed some GOP Loons. Not just one but two. Only missing Kucinich, Paul & Palin.

[doompatrol39]

7. But Trump hates CNN so we need to love them, right?

Seems to be how everything works around here.

Until we all cut our cable news obsession this type of bullshit move will continue because they know we will continue to watch no matter what.

What makes this worse is that it's not even as a "commentator" although that would be just as bad. She's a fucking editor.

Pathetic.

[catbyte]

22. What is THAT supposed to mean?

"But Trump hates CNN so we need to love them, right? Seems to be how everything works around here."

Way to introduce yourself to the community.

[doompatrol39]

23. There's way too much "enemy of my enemy is my friend" in general

Whether it's Comey, Bezos/Amazon, the FBI, the media/journalism, any number of "moderate republicans"......we are far too quick to forgive and forget, once Trump goes on a tear against a particular person or entity.

[Mr. Sparkle]

8. politics editor is a big role, it isn't some silly talking head.

I hope CNN reconsider this decision.

[miss-nasty]

9. I will miss Anderson and a few others...

But I don’t ever miss AC 360° - I did last night. I’m done! #boycottcnn

[deminks]

10. Certainly Not News

I haven't watched since 9/11/01

[watoos]

11. Why is everyone so upset?

I applaud CNN, it has always leaned to the right as have Fox and msnbc. I applaud CNN because it is being more transparent about what type of cable news network it truly is.

Tom Steyer needs to stop wasting his money and buy out a cable news network or start a new one that is truly liberal. It would take off like a rocket ship. Can you imagine the news anchors; Charley Pierce, Stephanie Miller, Keith Olbermann, Dylan Ratigan, Thom Hartmann, and steal Nicole Wallace and Rachel from msnbc. Can you imagine such a cable news network, a truly liberal network?

[True Blue American]

16. I would stay with Spectrum

For a station like that! We had one with Al Gores Current TV but he sold to AlJazeera. Corporate media drove them off.

That is where I first noticed Ali Vishi who said he left CNN to be able to do real Investigative reporting. He is still my favorite. MSNBC seems to allow him to do that.

McDonnell, Rachel and Ali. Shep Smith is a bright spot on Fox. Judge Napolitano tells the truth. Both good. Chris Wallace at times. But he does not hold a candle to Mike. Too wishy washy!

[sigpooie]

20. Real news network is the best at liberal lean unbias reporting

https://therealnews.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI76yh1LbK4AIVDr7ACh24YQp0EAAYASAAEgIq3vD_BwE

[Maru Kitteh]

31. "Liberal-leaning" and "unbiased" are not the same thing.

I am a liberal, but I want unbiased, factual reporting.

[Kurt V.]

12. zucker and tRump are friends.

[Bettie]

14. So, CNN is working to

become Fox? Jeez.

[True Blue American]

17. Ari Melber is heading that way,too.

[maxrandb]

18. As Faux News becomes more Nazi, CNN will become Nazi-Lite

There has to be somewhere Nazi's can go and pretend they're not really Nazis. Faux News screams their Nazism at 160 decibels.

Some Nazis prefer a more "low profile". CNN will fill that void

[Mr. Evil]

19. Pathetic. CNN just did this...

[jayschool2013]

21. Read your news

Watch only if you understand that TV news is show business and the performers are trained seals.

READ YOUR NEWS.

[grumpyduck]

26. YES!

We tend to forget that 'way too often.

The same exact "story" (about an event that occurred) can be slanted six ways from the middle for the sake of ratings.

[Maru Kitteh]

30. Read your news - FROM RELIABLE SOURCES and respected journalistic institutions

That part is extremely important to include as well. Too many people have "news feeds" and think the garbage they are reading has merit simply because it was published (and it confirms what they want to hear). Any jackass can publish "news" now, doesn't mean it has any veracity or quality.

[jayschool2013]

32. This, too.

Thanks.

[DirtEdonE]

24. CNN Can't Stop Pandering to the People Who Despise It Most

This is very disheartening. It's starting to feel like a 2016 redux.

GQ

CNN Can’t Stop Pandering to the People Who Despise It Most


"No media outlet has found itself more frequently in the crosshairs of the president's war on the press than CNN, which has alternately been barred from the White House grounds, smeared at press conferences as "fake news," and featured prominently in an old WWE clip in which its logo is superimposed over the face of a man who gets clotheslined by Donald Trump. Threats against its journalists and facilities are disturbingly commonplace, while Republican politicians, following Trump's lead, have become openly contemptuous of its reporting.

Today the network responded to this broken fire hydrant of malevolence by hiring Sarah Isgur—a longtime GOP strategist and occasional cable-news talking head who boasts no other experience in journalism—to "coordinate political coverage for the 2020 campaign." Through 2018, Isgur served as spokesperson for former attorney general Jeff Sessions, who needs no introduction; before that, she worked in various capacities for the failed presidential candidacies of Mitt Romney, Carly Fiorina, and Ted Cruz.

As the old saying goes: If you can't get them to stop launching vicious attacks as part of a cynical, coordinated effort to discredit your journalistic bona fides, hire those people to help determine the future of your journalistic enterprise instead.

CNN realized long ago that in the Trump era, trafficking in vapid, both-sides infotainment would prove to be a profitable investment. This hire, however, is different in kind: A person who has spent her professional life working to get Republican politicians elected is now tasked with helping to steer a major network's treatment of an election in which a prominent Republican politician will be a principal contestant. It is roughly the equivalent of hiring Tim Cook as a new "tech-industry editor" and then assigning him to cover the next iPhone announcement."

https://www.gq.com/story/cnn-sarah-isgur-hire

[DontBooVote]

25. Turn that goddamned bullshit off! But, alas, many right here who know better (or should)

will not stop watching. After all, 90% of the content posted from sources here is from or about right-wing sources and personalities.

[grumpyduck]

27. Sometimes I really miss Jack Webb,

aka Sgt Friday: "Just the facts, ma'am."

Back then I thought the good sergeant had a broomstick up his butt, but I still loved that line.

[LAS14]

28. I can't get this out of my mind. It's one of the scariest things...

... I've heard during this whole Trump era. Who owns CNN?

[Maru Kitteh]

29. They should band together and strike. Throw her off.

Just say hell no.