Reader Posts
« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
CNN Still the Clinton News Network?
On CNN this morning, immediately following a story on Richardson's endorsement and the importance to the Clinton Campaign of the uncommitted superdelegates, CNN "reported" that Hillary seems to be pulling ahead of Obama, citing a two day old Gallup poll (the 49% to 42% one) that has already been superseded by another more recent poll showing the gap narrowing somewhat.
So now I'm just asking: What legitimate reason is there to "report" on an old Gallup tracking poll just after completing a story on the Richardson endorsement? Is an old poll that has already been replaced by another identical poll showing some positive movement in Obama's direction news? Is it even relevant? I, for one, can't think of a good or acceptable answer here, but I guess it's all of a piece.
Comments (7)
Well, I don't know about the two-day-old poll, but some governing body (FCC? FEC?) requires equal air time for political candidates during an election season. It's hard to accomplish, so most tv stations will follow a story on one candidate with reaction by or a different story about the other candidate to fulfill the requirement. It might have been a producer just trying to crowbar something about Clinton into the rundown for that reason...
March 21, 2008 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
CNN and CBS have been deplorable. I have emailed both of them about their questionable and oft times biased stories favoring Clinton. I encourage you to do the same.
March 21, 2008 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
I actually used to think CNN was the most "trusted name in news". Ah to be young and naive. And it's not any Hillary bias that bothers me, it's that every time I turn on the channel, Wolf is sputtering some nonsense, Lou Dobbs is pretending like he is capable of leading a calm and sensical dialogue on race, Anderson whittling away any reputation he got after Katrina, etc, etc, etc. It takes them forever to report on things that are already all over the internet (do they not have interns to read the blogs for them??).
They failed to report on McCain's "mistake" the other day, making them complicit in his attempts to saber the war rattle against Iran.
Blitzer's been reporting that McCain's trip had nothing to do with campaigning, despite the fact that before he left his advisors noted it was to stay in the press and demonstrate a presidential image; AND he held a fundraiser in London.
Not to mention the errors they made in the debate. Sigh.
At least most people recognize Fox's claim of "fair and balanced" as the joke that it is.
March 21, 2008 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
You hit the nail on the head. I'm sick to death of Wolf Blitzer, Lou Dobbs, and that whole stupid pack of fools.
But, I never felt they were showing a pro-Clinton bias. I thought they were simply pro-Stupid. CNN in particular has been complicit in reporting government talking points as news - without doing their own reporting.
There are two types of TV news folk: the ones who want to be journalists, and the ones who want to be on TV. CNN falls in the later category.
I still think the example this post originally used was a poorly handled (again, pro-Stupid) attempt at equal air time, though.
March 21, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think it's so much a pro-Clinton bias as a pro-let's-keep-the-story-going bias. It's all about the Bens—not that there's anything wrong with that! ;)
March 21, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
In addition they have not reported that McCain's gaffe involving Iran and al Qaeda really happened 4 times!
They're chalking it up to "just a slip-up."
March 21, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Link here
March 21, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment