When you choose to watch CNN, remember one thing: IT IS THE ENEMY.

[MoonRiver]

If we go there it should be simply to find out what kind of propaganda the */Rove machine is spewing. I believe CNN is now the seminal place to identify and analyze Repuke strategy. CNN has become totally shameless regarding its pro-Repuke agenda. When a Dem and Repuke are put up in one of CNN's so-called "debates" the Dem is marginalized to trying to get a word in edgewise, while Repukes are allowed to pontificate ad nauseum. THIS IS IT. FAUX is no longer the primary Repuke cable mouthpiece, it is hereby awarded to CNN.coN, imho.

[Flubadubya]

1. About the "marginalized" Dem...

I was just noting this today about "This Week" with George Stephanopolous and Wolf Blitzer on CNN. These multi-millionaire "News TV Hosts" stack the deck all the time.

Stephanopolous put John Podesta against John O'Neill. Podesta did the best he could, but he is still not the most articulate spokesperson for our side. Moreover, Steph allowed O'Neill to hog the conversation and even made statements that were blatantly biased toward O'Neill.

Wolf Blitzer had on the bully thug Coleman and Bill Nelson. Nelson had a way of talking in "grand generalities" and never really made any pertinent or cogent responses to specific, detailed questions.

I see this slant all the time. TV pundits put up a Republican bully with either an inarticulate Dem representative or against a DINO (such as Joe Lieberman) who already agrees with the republican point of view.

Look folks, they do this deliberately. It is no accident that these wimped out, over-paid, so-called "journalists" set these things up to favor the right and besmirch the left. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!!!

Saywhat, you've hit the nail on the head. :bounce:

[MoonRiver]

3. Very, very good points!!

It is definitely NOT just CNN. Right now MSNBC seems to be helping US get the truth out, at least regarding swift boat liars. But who knows what their slant will be tomorrow. Their track record leaves much to be desired. I find it particularly offensive when a so-called Dem, like Stephanopolos, ends up whoring for these money grubbing fascist network pigs. Its positively disgusting. I can't imagine selling my soul for the almighty dollar.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. And people need to remember that it is the producers of these shows

who decide who the guests are going to be, not the Kerry campaign or anyone else.

[MoonRiver]

12. Interesting.

I have never know how they pick the guests. I sort of figured they went through the candidates or political organizations, but clearly that is a misperception. Lots of people here are blaming the Kerry campaign for putting these guests on. We definitely need to keep educating that Kerry has nothing to say about this.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

13. Well look at CNN Late Edition today

Who were the Dems? Harmon, Nelson, Brazile. Do any of them have anything to do with the Kerry campaign? No. Have any of them been out front pushing the Kerry agenda? No. Are they long-time, regular guests on Late Edition? Yes.

[MoonRiver]

14. True. CNN knows exactly how they will respond,

and they are not intensely and personally invested in the Kerry campaign. In other words, they present relatively safe targets for CNN and its Repuke pals, a.k.a. "guests".

[AngryOldDem]

18. And Even Then....

**Lots of people here are blaming the Kerry campaign for putting these guests on. We definitely need to keep educating that Kerry has nothing to say about this.**


...what choice does the Kerry campaign have, if it wants to be represented at all on these shows?

Because if they refuse to send someone, it's announced prominently (and, depending on how controversial the subject, several times) that "A spokesperson from the Kerry campaign/Democratic party/whoever was invited to join this discussion but the campaign/party/whoever refused." Leaves only more questions for the audience, as well as many negative connotations.

The networks have them coming and going here.

Right now I can't stand to watch any cable news program any longer than it takes to hear the latest headlines, but I may be willing to give MSNBC a try, based on Matthews/Olbermann lately.

[MoonRiver]

33. Since learning this, I've educated one poster who accused Kerry

of incompetence in who he sent on the shows today. This is a very wide spread misconception!

[Cha]

21. IMV, there should be No "inarticualate" Dems who go

on tv. I know we have a lot of eloquent, knowledgeable, Dems out there and we Need them to step forward.

I remember John Podesta(when I still had cable two years ago) and I wasn't that impressed with him then.

This is War and we need all our top verbalists! Please!

[Nite Owl]

2. CNN is definitely worse than FOX.

They still have the gloss of fairness with the American public and years of being considered the liberal choice. I wonder what their am meetings must sound like, just how they plan what what they say. Another thing that bothers me is that even people like Michael Moore don't say anything about them, they are kind of left out of the frey when any liberal bashes the media it doesn't get directed at them. Part of the problem lies with who we let go on the shows and their lack of training in how to handle the right.

[LunaC]

4. "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts."

There was a time when the news was reported according to basic journalistic principles....."Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts."

Now, however, CNN newscasters intentionally shade and shape their semantics towards a right-wing bias that smacks of organized Conservative propaganda. Blitzer, Woodruff and Crowley are the most blatant, egregious and obnoxious examples of this practice.

Allowing the White House to influence their reporting (ala the Letterman fiasco) is simply unprofessional, unamerican and unacceptable.

I can no longer - in good conscience - support them as a viewer and told them as much!
.

[bringbackfdr]

5. Conservative News Network

I e-mailed them Friday after watching a couple of hours worth of swift boat blather, during which they pretty much let O'Neil's thugs have free reign. I've pretty much given up on all TV news, but will give MSNBC the benefit of a doubt for the moment.

[LunaC]

8. When I dumped CNN I switched to MSNBC

My stress level has dramatically improved with the change.

I heard an ad blurb MSNBC ran on themselves saying they had the fastest growing viewership in cable news. With people screaming and running away from CNN in droves, it doesn't surprise me. As long as MSNBC's ratings and profits keep growing, they'll stick with the formula that's working for them and there's hope for us Libruls yet!

[oasis]

6. I would fly to Atlanta to participate in an organized picket of CNN.

[SOS]

7. When tempted to tune in

I remind myself that it is now Fox News. Haven't looked since the convention.

[hang a left]

9. I think that CNN should be boycotted by everyone that visits DU.

whether they are registered users or not. Let their ratings show that they have been turned off, until they start showing what we want to see.....the truth.

[AmerDem]

11. CNN is the enemy

The only one i would even consider a decent human being is that Carlos Watson ( think that's his name )Dobbs has been heavy with the shrub but Dobbs is a repuke thru and thru!

[redstateblues]

15. The Least Trusted Name In News

I ried CNN this weekend after staying away for a month It's gotten worse- if that's possible. I e-mailed [e-mail] to suggest their new slogan.

[Bluebear]

16. Carol Lin: "Kerry blew his wad at the convention."

That was the icing on the cake for me. I left CNN after watching them 20 years. They are the definitive GOP mouthpiece now.

[Cha]

22. Yeah, who can forget that!

I'm happy Dems are finally waking up as to the chicken noodle network's true agenda.

Unreliabel scources has been this way for a Long Time..and I believe I read that the former ceo of cnn, walter Isaacson, sent a memo down way back when to totally disregard any news about Gore getting more Votes@!!@

Tell ya something?!!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

17. Thank You saywhat! You and I think alike. CNN is worse than Fox.

CNN is the Axis and WE are the Allies!

[MoonRiver]

19. Its amazing isn't it? But FAUX is better, although that says zip

and I won't go there either. I'm so glad for Air America and DISH satellite! :)

[hansolsen]

20. Wolf Blitzer thinks the war in Iraq is to make the world safe for Israel

Wolf is vested in keeping American troops on the ground in the middle east in support of the Likud settlement expansion policy. Wolf's previous job as reporter for the Jerusalem Post comes through his very pores in the way he anchors CNN right now.

CNN anchors may have "liberal" tendencies on various "cultural issues" important to progressives, but when it comes to Iraq and the middle east, they have decided Bush is the best president in history for Israel. They are dead wrong, of course. The war in Iraq has been a disaster for Israel.

That's how I see it.

[MoonRiver]

23. My husband initially supported the Iraq war for the same reasons.

Now he believes the exact opposite. Why hasn't Wolfman gotten a clue?

[hansolsen]

27. That's an excellent question. I have been wondering if the grand poobahs

of the NYTs and WP and other media bigfoots who once thought the war in Iraq was good for Israel, are having any doubts. They all seem to think we can't leave, fearing what will happen to Israel if we do, but seem oblivious that our continued presence is making things worse, not better.

What does your husband feel we should do now?

[MoonRiver]

28. He thinks we should get out ASAP.

Of course he believes the UN needs to take over before that happens. And we all know that the UN, including and especially our former allies, won't get involved unless * is gone.

[hansolsen]

31. I agree. N/T

[Cha]

24. Shows you how stupid and dense they are...

their little one trick pony has lost his trick.

[DeepModem Mom]

25. IF YOU'VE TURNED OFF CNN, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW -- CONTACT INFO:

Link to CNN's contact form webpage:

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form1.html?39

CNN's viewer comment line: 404-827-0234 (leave a message anytime, or speak to a person during office hours)

Additional CNN contact info:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/?command=org_pages&org_id=554

[MoonRiver]

29. Thanks! I sent them my 2 bits.

:kick:

[Killarney]

26. Everyone should switch to MSNBC.

and support Hardball and Countdown.

Turn off CNN and FAUX.

[oldtime dfl_er]

30. what we need to do...

It seems to me that we at DU (I'm just a newbie so if this has been suggested and/or even implemented, please excuse me!) need to establish a repository where comments, questions, statements from the talking heads at CNN can be posted and available from one central site. We all know how powerful language is, and how easy it is to slant a question. We've seen it, we rail daily against it.

Given the suggestions of Dem_Strategist here, and his/her words "the media is the enemy", DU responded brilliantly by having last Monday's "blitz on CNN".. and there's been talk of blitzing them every Monday. A repository of verified comments can be a valuable resource for someone wanting to point to SPECIFIC instances when Wolfie or Candy or Judy worded a question or comment in a specific way, that was perhaps subtly biased. I'll give an example at the end. Specific examples of the use of slanted language are, I think, more effective than the more general (but also effective) letter or email that merely says "I've noticed more of a right wing bias in your reporting lately."

The problem i see with a "quote repository" is that the quotes need to be verified or verifiable through links to transcripts. Anybody have any suggestions on this?

EXAMPLE (from a promo by Bill Hemmer several weeks ago, when the medal story to be covered was only of Kerry throwing his ribbons away): "We'll look at the ongoing controversy surrounding John Kerry's medals, and we'll look at some new Bush ads."

(To use the word 'controversy' in regard to Republican-raised and baseless questions about the medals is a subtle form of bias, especially for the viewer who is not listening closely or who is not sophisticated about language.)

Thoughts?

[Karenina]

32. Actually, my fantasy

is that the BLITZ be comprised of warm bodies with CAMERAS, placards, and megaphones greeting these slimy liars on their way IN and OUT of the high-tech studios and offices that facilitate their *demolition of America. Post pictures of the execs and DO NOT ALLOW THEM to blithely conduct "business as usual." Follow their trucks and pose a question or two as they cover a treed cat. Then post for all to see how these liars and bullies run for cover. The BIGGEST PROBLEM is that the *corporate media feels NO RESPONSIBILITY to the "owners" of the airwaves, Indeed those airwaves have been "privatized," they believe THEY own them and "Who cares what YOU think." TAKE BACK THE MEDIA.