CNN's YouTube Debate Failed The American People

[Hissyspit]

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/57807

CNN's YouTube Debate Failed the American People

By Rory O'Connor, AlterNet. Posted July 24, 2007.

All the fear of unfiltered, unmediated questions delivered directly from the electorate was misplaced. It was CNN and the candidates who let us down.

- snip -

The questions from 'ordinary citizens' were great, the answers from the ordinary candidates not so great -- largely because they were not nearly as direct, thoughtful, honest or embracing. Instead, the bizarre nexus of Big Politics and Big Media once again displayed a simultaneous fascination with and fear of the Internet, the 'New Media' it has brought crashing down on their carefully wrought old media plans -- and especially the audience formerly known as the electorate.

- snip -

Unfortunately, and all too typically, however, CNN's old media fear of losing control trumped its fascination with the new. In only going halfway, the cable news network delivered an inevitable result -- a debate that was only half great. Instead of leaving the decision of which questions would be asked to the same citizens who had already sent in thousands of mostly intelligent, serious and to-the-point videos, CNN honchos decided they needed to 'filter' the process and decide themselves which questions would get asked, so as to ensure the seriousness and high purpose of the evening would not be dragged through the mud of the mob.

To defend this dubious decision, they pointed to a crazy question about Arnold Schwarzenegger being a cyborg as the 'most popular' questioned submitted to YouTube. It turns out that was just an 'early return,' however, and in the end the most popular question -- which went unchosen by the CNN priesthood and thus unasked -- was a very serious one about the possible impeachment of President Bush.

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[annabanana]

1. Can't have "The People" actually making media decisions, you know.

A little unfiltered poking from the electorate would throw their mendacity into high relief. They are already half-pantsed.

[robinlynne]

14. They don't like it very much when the people vote...

[ixion]

2. a very insightful piece

I think it really accentuates the chasm between the MSM and We, the People.

[liberal N proud]

3. Shorten that: CNN Failed the American People

[Old and In the Way]

4. Try to find a poll on impeachment from the MSM.

They couldn't poll Clinton's bogus impeachment enough, but they give this administration a pass.

[zeemike]

5. It is all about control n/t

[DutchLiberal]

6. I agree. It seemed like there were only four candidates on stage:

Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Dodd. They got practically all the time that was available. Once I blinked, I missed seeing Gravel and Kucinich. I think I didn't even see Richardson!

Gravel tackled that problem, asking Cooper for more time, since he wasn't given as much times as the other candidates, but Cooper refused, leaving Gravel to utter a cynical "Thank you, Anderson".

But it IS interesting to see that the canidates who got almost no time, had the best answers, and were all to the point, while the 'big three' had the most time and couldn't answer anything to the point.

And I know that's exactly *why* they get all the time.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Turning Elections into Reality Shows

I'm curious how many people here have had their votes decided or their minds changed with any of these "debates"? I expect I'll hear lots of crickets chirping. That's because there's no substance in any of these debates...it's a joke...like a game show where the contestants candidates are put through their tricks...soundbites, gotchas and attempts to get people to fight with one another. This isn't about learning what the candidates stand for...it's a promotional vehicle for the corporate media where THEY are the stars. Yep, the corporate media knows what we want to know or hear far better than we do ourselves.

The corporate media hasn't gotten the memo yet, but a growing number of Americans are upset with the lack of real news on networks like CNN (kinda like MTV still claiming to be "Music Television) and how they've taken a very serious process in a most dangerous time and turned it into yet another ratings circus.

[burythehatchet]

8. Jon Stewart took the whole thing apart and exposed it to be another clownish

attempt by CNN to show that they're waaaaay cool.

[in_cog_ni_to]

19. Did Stewart show the Impeachment question on the air? The #1 question on YOUTUBE? n/t

[burythehatchet]

20. No, he was just mocking the whole affair and it was brutally hilarious.

Sometimes I feel like CNN is an old sweater and Stewart just keeps pulling the loose string.

[madrchsod]

9. there is`t any substance in the "debates"

it`s a question and answer session that really accomplishes nothing

[DutchLiberal]

11. YES! You're right! They are NOT 'debates'.

And they shouldn't call them 'debates', they should call them 'Q&A'.

[ReverendDeuce]

10. Honestly? I liked the debates a lot...

I thought it was a tremendous breath of fresh air. The questions were provocative, Anderson Cooper didn't let the candidates back down or dance around the questions, etc. It was great!

[lonestarnot]

12. CNN sucks ass.

[pingzing58]

13. Yea, the execs at CNN must be FReepers and think they need to pull on the reins. nt

[spanone]

15. This is still completely MEDIA CONTROLLED. They decided to show the gun-nut

instead of a citizen concerned about gun control and they hired the two actors-hillbillies to try and embarass participants.

[cgrindley]

16. the questions were watered down and the candidate avoided

answering any of them. The only two people who answered were Gravel and Mr Ears, both of whom merely ended up looking powerfully and impressively crazy.

[SoCalDem]

17. As soon as I found out they were "choosing" which ones would air, I knew it would be ho-hum

I'd like to see the wacky ones weeded out, and ALL the others randomly put in link form (and not put on websites for preview)..

Then with a long list of links ONLY..(no description).. each candidate in turn clicks a random link on a laptop (on each candidate's lectern)..

No advance screening by candidates..

and if they do not answer the question, their mike gets cut:)

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. What I would love to know: If CNN didn't want the peon citizens to choose the questions, why did

they have us vote?

It's reprehensible what they did! Then they try to make us believe they chose the most popular question. They didn't! THEY LIE!

Gee, they couldn't be working for the WH, could they?:eyes: