CNN Likely to Move More Towards the Political Centre

[PeterRS]

In an era dominated by the ultra-right-wing Fox News and the lies it continuously spews, CNN has been a beacon of reason for those not wedded to Trumpism. Now, though, changes at the top of the network are likely to see it move away to a much more central political position. The start came recently with the sudden unexplained axing of Sunday night Brian Skelter's Reliable Sources hour-long programme. Skelter frequently aimed his barbs at Fox News.

At the top of the network, former boss Jeff Zucker was an ally of Skelter and the network's mostly left wing alternative to Fox. CNN has changed hands quite regularly. It is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery. Skelter's firing is the first salvo from new boss Chris Licht. But Licht appeears only to be doing the bidding of his ultimate boss. This is billionaire mostly right-wing John Malone, the major shareholder in Warner Bros. Discovery, who is a close friend of its CEO David Zaslav. 

"Zaslav has been closely involved in driving Warner Bros. Discovery’s vision for CNN, doubling down on its traditional global news-gathering function and moving away from the partisan reputation it garnered—fairly or not—during the Trump years. Hence all the talk of diversifying CNN’s contributor ranks, and the olive branches to Republicans, which Licht handed out recently on a romp through Capitol Hill. 'I think they share a vision for CNN,' an insider who knows both men told me. 'But at the end of the day, Licht is executing his vision on how to get there. No one is telling him what to do or how it works.' Whether Stelter’s exit augurs any additional shake-ups is yet to be seen, but we won’t have to wait long: Licht is expected to put more of a stamp on the network come fall."

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/brian-stelter-canceled-cnn-reliable-sources

In addition to killing Skelter's programme, under Zaslav/Licht, the network has already axed the new streaming service CNN+ just weeks after its launch. Warner Bros Discovery is carrying a heavy debt load. Zaslav told investors recently the debt does not matter as he will make US$3 bilion in savings. How much of this will come from CNN, only tme will tell.

[unicorn]

I've always thought of CNN as centrist. For the left's perspective, I think most would think of MSNBC. For the right's perspective, FOX would go as far as to intentionally "report" information they know to be factually incorrect. As far as I know, MSNBC doesn't intentionally report false information, but they do constantly comment on the information they report from their perspective. CNN seems to mostly just report the news with minimal comment, as far as I can tell (though I don't view/listen to CNN that often).

[JKane]

I agree, CNN has always felt like corporate centrism with any bias being towards getting viewership more than a firm political leaning.  I think Trump's crybaby fits against something most people thought was innocuously centrist helped some people to see how dishonest he was.  

I HATE the false equivalency conservatives love to draw between Fox and MSNBC.  MSNBC is a journalistic enterprise and while there's a liberal bias... there's a lot of good journalism too.  NOBODY SCREAMING "KILL THEIR MIKE" when an alternative viewpoint is being discussed-hell it's one of the few places to still seek an alternative viewpoint! 

Fox "News" is nothing but billionaires paying millionaires to tell the middle class to blame the poor.  The ONLY goal is tax cuts for the corpocracy and top 1%, everything else they destroy along the way is collateral damage.  There is exactly as much "journalism" as their legal department tells them is REQUIRED.  

Personally, I prefer to be the consumer rather than the product (what advertisers are purchasing) so I get most of my news from National Public Radio, specifically never miss the weekly wrap up (also widely available as a podcast) Left, Right, and Center.  Believe it comes out Thursday evenings, should be able to get the latest episode Friday at the least.  "Alexa, play podcast Left, Right and Center, latest" works for me!  

[Guest]

8 hours ago, unicorn said:

I've always thought of CNN as centrist.

ALL American cable tv is designed for “brainwashing” and it doesn’t matter the political POV - it’s about money & ratings.  Take MSNBC for example - they have 5+ “opinion” shows all covering the same topics and talking points.  Their goal is to incite the viewer on an emotional level and keep you outraged & hooked on the drama.  The more outraged you are & the more you’re certain of your moral high-ground, the more they keep you watching. And that’s the entire point - to keep you pissed off & watching.  It’s the same at Fox, perhaps w more conspiracy theories as their audience is less educated and will engage with more stupid things.

Best thing anyone can do is stop watching anything on TV that’s political - they have an agenda and are telling you what to think. And they do it over & over, when you get hooked on their programming.  I see my crazy Republican family members do it with Fox and my progressive friends do the same with MSNBC.  It’s all toxic

If you’re a news junkie - pick a few reputable sources & READ the information where it is more a process to make your own opinion based on the facts provided.  It’s not perfect by any means - but way better than tv where everything is sensationalized and designed to push your buttons to watch more.  Best thing I ever did was turn off the tv on ALL political reporting. 

Btw - it’s a super boring topic of conversation when the only real change you can make is to vote when elections happen. Other than that - a complete waste of time & energy.

[alvnv]

Just American? 

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

 

Best thing anyone can do is stop watching anything on TV

proud to admit that I took your advice on Mar 23 -1997 and ever since I made very few exceptions, Reagan and John Paul II funerals and few soccer finals

[Guest]

6 hours ago, alvnv said:

Just American? 

not just American television, but probably the most extreme example in a country with a “free-press” & supposedly a democracy, which it’s not. 

[vinapu]

8 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

not just American television, but probably the most extreme example in a country with a “free-press” & supposedly a democracy, which it’s not. 

don't be too harsh, after all Orange Overlord lost his job not in the coup but by electoral means. But yes,  I'd call it " manipulative democracy "

[reader]

When my cable bill hit $89 eight years ago I cancelled it in favor of an old fashioned tv antenna. I get 64 channels, giving me all the news, sports and entertainment options I need. Consequently I'm spared the scores of cable news offerings that prove more political than informative.

[PeterRS]

On 8/26/2022 at 5:30 AM, Slvkguy said:

Take MSNBC for example - they have 5+ “opinion” shows all covering the same topics and talking points.  Their goal is to incite the viewer on an emotional level and keep you outraged & hooked on the drama.

I do like to watch news programmes but thankfully in Bangkok I get neither Fox News nor MSNBC. I only get the BBC World News programme and CNN. Both have good programming from time to time. I only mentioned earlier that CNN is more left of centre because that is how it seems when compared to those few occasions when I have watched Fox (in hotels for example). I also as suggested by a poster read the on-line editions of two newspapers.

[maump]

Fox is fake news, MSNBC is consider the far left, CNN is left of center, especially in the opinion shows.  But the new direction from the new owner is to treat the republicans as honest people with a different viewpoint; instead of a pack of well documented power seeking lying hypocrites.

"there are very fine people on both sides"

with mainstream media owned by the rich oligarchs manipulating the news, USA is not a democracy, it is a plutocracy .

[Mavica]

On 9/6/2022 at 8:16 PM, maump said:

Fox is fake news, MSNBC is consider the far left, CNN is left of center, especially in the opinion shows.  But the new direction from the new owner is to treat the republicans as honest people with a different viewpoint; instead of a pack of well documented power seeking lying hypocrites.

Not really.  CNN has consistently, for many years now, contracted with and paid spokespersons/supporters of the various Presidents to appear and present their viewpoint.  No other network does this. It's not something new.  CNN has been consistent in offering "both sides" in those panel discussions.  

[floridarob]

Pretty much sums it up....