CNN planted question at debate, student says

[no name no slogan]

Did you wonder about the "Mac vs. PC" question asked at the Rock the Vote "debate"? Check out this article.

-snip-

NEW YORK -- CNN planted a question about computer preferences at last week's debate of the Democratic presidential candidates at Faneuil Hall in Boston, according to the student who posed the query and wrote about it yesterday in an online forum of the Brown (University) Daily Herald. During the debate, cosponsored by the nonprofit Rock the Vote organization, Alexandra Trustman asked the candidates whether they preferred the PC or Mac format for their computers.

Trustman wrote yesterday that she was called the morning of the debate and given the topic of the question the CNN producers wanted her to ask. She wrote that she was "confused by the question's relevance" and constructed what she thought was a "much more relevant" question.

But when she arrived in Boston for the debate, she wrote, she was "handed a note card" with the question and told she couldn't ask her alternative "because it wasn't lighthearted enough and they wanted to modulate the event with various types of questions."

CNN did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

-/snip

Why isn't this suprising in the least? Why do we continually let the media dictate the terms of the debate, and the range of ideas we allow into the debate? Why has the media decided that Howard Dean's and Joe Liebermann's positions are the "accepted" bounds of the Democratic party, while candidates like Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton are marginalized as "fringe" candidates-- even though their views are historically as representative of the party, if not more representative?

Why do we, as Democrats and Americans, continue to put up with this?

I am sick and tired of the media telling me what is a "serious" issue-- especially given the points raised in this article about how they "frame" the debate.


link to full article: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/11/11/cnn_planted_question_at_debate_student_says/

[Fixated]

1. ........

Interesting. Thanks, I'll post this on my blog.

[Ediacara]

2. can you edit this?

it's about 4 screens wide at the moment...

[Memekiller]

3. Even more disturbing...

Is the lead in to the article CNN wrote on the debate. It makes such a big deal about the funny line. Think they were trying to concoct another "boxers or briefs" moment?:

(From whoslying.org)

"Early on, the forum provided light moments when the audience learned that most of the presidential candidates prefer PCs over Macintosh computers..."



"Dubbed 'America Rocks the Vote' and moderated by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, the forum was designed with a town-hall format. Candidates answered live questions from the audience. "

"In contrast to the many lighter moments and laugh lines, the candidates tackled more substantive questions, too."

"Dems Face Off in 'Rock the Vote'", CNN, Nov. 6, 200

[redqueen]

6. IMO they're trying to marginalize the debate itself.

If enough people feel such venues are worthless, will they not stop watching?

[curse10]

4. Why am I not surprised?

n/t

[tom_paine]

5. This is pathetic, but totally par for the course for Corporate TV Pravda

I wish this student had had the guts to get up there and say, "I wanted to ask you a question, but CNN told me I had to ask some stupid PC Vs. Mac question. Just what the hell is wrong with the American Media and what would you do to fix it?"

Of course, I'm sure that CNN weeded out any student tat they perceived would have the guts and freedom in their heart to do this.

Although I applaud the student for coming out after the fact (they didn't have to come out at all) and show us, for the 10,000th time, the disgraceful nature of Corporate TV Pravda.

If CNN is doing that, just what the hell is Faux Reichspropganda doing?!?

[Syrinx]

7. I winced when I heard that question

I thought what a worthless question. I can't believe that CNN thought they were improving the "debate" by including that.

[joshan361]

8. this was written by 1 of their own!

this article was written by 1 of their own, Howard Kurtz, Washington Post
aka Howie Kurtz, Reliable Sources.... wonder if he will write on their lil editing job also?

http://tinyurl.com/uk98

CNN= Crooked News Network