Contact CNN to protest hiring of 3 right wing nuts!

[NoAmericanTaliban]

Its official - CNN is now a fox clone. From Moveon email I received today:

CNN is trying to gain viewers by imitating right-wing Fox News.


This week, CNN Headline News announced it will give a full primetime hour to right-wing talk radio host Glenn Beck.1 In the past month, CNN hired former Gingrich-era Republican congressman J.C. Watts2 and reportedly hired Reagan cabinet secretary Bill Bennett3 as on-air news analysts. CNN has hired no progressive voices.


Variety magazine reports CNN "will look to build Beck into the type of TV personality that could siphon viewers from Bill O'Reilly, Joe Scarborough and other conservative hosts."4 Why is CNN imitating Fox News? CNN's president thinks progressives don't care, saying "they don't get too worked up about anything."5 It's time for us to strike back—hard.

Please contact CNN right away. Let CNN know it's outrageous to skew the news by hiring Beck, Watts, and Bennett—and that the public will not stand for CNN becoming a Fox News clone.

CNN headquarters in Atlanta
404-827-1500 (Ask for comment line—then option 1 to leave message, option 2 for live person)

Calling is most effective. But if you can't call or if the switchboard is closed, you can e-mail CNN using this webform:
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form1.html?39
Help track our impact by letting us know you contacted CNN at:
http://civic.moveon.org/call/?cp_id=195&tg=67.34

The hiring of right-wingers isn't just a minor misstep by CNN executives—they are becoming accomplices in the right-wing's war on journalism, caving to years of right-wing pressure.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. catering to the same idiots

CNN has never been the same since Ted Turner sold it. But I can't figure out how they expect to increase their audience share by doing this, unless they become worse than Faux....what's next, a special program for racists and homophobes?

[Nickster]

2. "what's next, a special program for racists and homophobes?"

But you already mentioned Faux News.....Ba dum dum....

[leftstreet]

3. This could eventually bite them on the ass

The "news" blackout on Gore's speech at Constitution Hall has just shown us how the Corporate Media are TERRIFIED of the populist uprising they see around the corner.

Emulating FOX for ratings might be a day late and a dollar short.

[EST]

4. I'm sorry to buck the current, but why?

That any progressive would even bother to watch cnn, other than those who monitor for scientific reasons, is appalling. Hopefully, octogenarian wet fart Ted Stevens will have his way and we will be able to name the provider package we wish. If that comes to pass, the apparent audience that the swill-mongers claim will be radically reduced and be more representative of reality. Cnn, msnbc, faux, et al will die from malnutrition.

At that point, my dish schedule will NOT include those pathetically terrorized pea brains and they can then authentically compete for the shriveled remains of radical fundy wart hogs. Piss on 'm!

[Metta]

5. Done. Thanks.

I believe it's important for them to know that these new hires undermine honest reporting and will come back to haunt them.

[movonne]

6. It does no good to write them....The only thing that works is..

STOP WATCHING.....

[Heewack]

8. I agree.

I does no good to write. These moves were made for dollars and the fact that we already weren't watching. Who cares what they do?

[rocktivity]

7. Are they that incompetent or that complicit?

It's such a bad move businesswise (all they can hope to do is pick off the last of Fox's non-hardcore viewers while driving away the last their more moderate ones) that they must under orders from the Bush regime to steer farther to the right!

On edit: My letter to CNN "...if you're going to be a Fox News clone, I'll treat you like one--AND STOP WATCHING!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[NanceGreggs]

9. Everyone is free to contact CNN and 'vent' ...

.. I've done it myself in the past. But don't expect them to change the course they're on, regardless of how many complaints they get.

This is the marketing "strategery" they're set on going through with.

They've already lost virtually their entire Dem/Liberal audience, and now they think they can take on FAUX. But I, for one, can't imagine FAUX devotees changing to CNN - they're already getting all of the right-wing BS they want to hear, so why change the channel?

When their market share goes down to .0001% (and as market share goes down, so do advertizing revenues), they'll 'reorganize' upper management and with it their editorial position.

But by then, it will be too late to recapture the enormous audience they once had when they used to actually report the NEWS ...

[Imalittleteapot]

10. I've already emailed CNN about the most offensive -

Glen Beck. I agree that it does no good. I never turn on CNN. I watch Keith on MSNBC and occassionally tune in to Tweety's GOP love fest. That's it for cable news, unless you count the Daily Show.

[cantstandbush]

11. It's not about ratings, it's about controlling the information. n/t

[BattyDem]

12. Several months ago ...

I remember reading that the ratings at Fox News were down. Does anyone else remember that? If so, why would CNN want to imitate a format that's failing? :shrug:

[Heewack]

13. I recall that.

I'm not sure what the numbers are as of late, but I think it's hard to equate a fall in numbers to failing. faux still had a large edge in cable news. The bottom line is that advertising dollars are driving this shift.

[BattyDem]

14. You're right about the advertising dollars ...

but that's what I meant about a "failing" format. Adevrtising rates are determined by the "sweeps" periods. If a network's ratings are down, that usually means they can't charge as much for advertising as a network with higher ratings.

I don't get it. :shrug:

Unless ... CNN's ratings are even lower than the "falling" ratings at Fox.

[sandnsea]

15. Hey, progressives are wild-eyed!!

How can they be wild-eyed and not get worked up about anything at the same time!!

Good news is CNN will have no audience in a very short time. The Fox viewers aren't going to go to CNN.

[lpbk2713]

16. The absolute best an imitator can ever hope for is "second best"

CNN needs to bear this in mind if they want to copy Faux news.