CNN's Jon Klein Plays Defense at TCA over Lou Dobbs & birthers

[RamboLiberal]

During a three-hour panel Klein continued touting CNN's claim to the biggest "reach" of any network, thanks to its strong web presence. While in traditional television viewer metrics the network has continued to trail behind Fox News, Klein seems unconcerned:

"You've got one network on the right and one on the left, and we're the only one that is based on reporting news," Klein said. "That's really working for us. Our journalistic quality is higher than it's ever been."

After the panel, Klein engaged in a short Q&A with Variety TV critic Brian Lowry. Lowry pressed Klein on the statements Dobbs has made on his radio show regarding President Barack Obama's birth certificate that seem to contradict the position he's taken on his CNN program:

We have no control over what he says on his radio show. It's not a CNN radio program so he does what he does on the radio separate from what he does on our air. So we ask you and anyone writing about this, to look at what he says on CNN. It's the only thing we control.
...

I would rather all of our leading journalists rely on their best judgments and instincts and our guidance about them. We believe in the editorial compass of all of our people. It's going to be different according to the individual. But that just makes us a more interesting and vibrant place. Lou is listening to a certain segment of the population all day long on his radio show so naturally that's going to inform some of the decisions that he makes. But, again, to be clear: He is not exploring the question of whether Barack Obama is an American citizen. That is settled. It is a dead issue as far as CNN is concerned.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/cnns_jon_klein_plays_defense_at_tca_123023.asp

[movonne]

1. The mediabistro.com is a right wing rag....just read most of

the comments...

[SteppingRazor]

3. Actually, it's not.

They can't be responsible for comments posted, obviously, but the site's far from "right-wing." If anything, its TV Newser blog tilts slightly to the left. Most of the site has no political affiliation at all.

[RamboLiberal]

5. I second that - I read TVNewser everyday for scoops on media

and it is not a right or left wing rag.

[SteppingRazor]

8. The basic problem is that, on general news sites...

you get far more right wing commentary than left wing. Just look at the comments fields for almost any major daily newspaper in the country -- it's filled with right-wing crap. I think it's mostly because these folks tend to be a bit less internet savvy (i.e. unaware of discussion forum sites where they'd have a home, like Free Republic) and have a bit more time on their hands.

If you base whether a site is right or left merely by the comments left there by visitors, you'd have some pretty strange outcomes.

[movonne]

2. delete

[City Lights]

4. Comedy gold!

You've got one network on the right and one on the left, and we're the only one that is based on reporting news. That's really working for us. Our journalistic quality is higher than it's ever been.

:rofl:

Please. :eyes:

But, again, to be clear: He is not exploring the question of whether Barack Obama is an American citizen.

What's he doing then? What, exactly, is the point of continuing to question whether his Hawaiian birth certificate is valid?

Piss off, CNN! You suck!

[RamboLiberal]

6. CNN should call themselves the Michael Jackson network

Between Larry King & AC360 that's all they seem to be reporting.

[Supersedeas]

7. a caricature worse than a cartoon

[jayfish]

9. And If Dobbs, On His Radio Show,...

called CNN a hairy piece of shit? Huge cop-out from Klein.

Jay