CNN wants to start reporting actual news now

[cynatnite]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8272375/site/newsweek/

June 27 issue - CNN president Jonathan Klein slipped quietly into his Atlanta newsroom last Monday afternoon. With the network poised to broadcast the Michael Jackson jury's verdict all over the world, he thought it best to be seen among the troops. But after a few moments absorbing images of white doves and black armbands, a worried Klein had seen enough. Stepping away from the satellite feeds, he called CNN's real power center: the prime-time producers back in Manhattan. He was concerned that their evening coverage of the not-guilty verdict was destined to be stale. "We have a less interesting story now," Klein told his deputies. "What is there original to say about Michael Jackson at this point?"

It was a good question, but an odd one for Klein to ask. For months, after all, Jackson was CNN's biggest prime-time star, the pop star's black umbrella as ubiquitous on the network as Larry King's broad suspenders or Anderson Cooper's pin-striped suits. Nevertheless, talking to NEWSWEEK a few days after the verdict, Klein said he regretted the "endless parade" of stories CNN aired with "Michael dressed like Captain Crunch, walking out of the limousine." He marveled at opportunities lost: "We could have done 60 stories during that time."

Now Klein says he's taking steps so that CNN doesn't have to go wacko for Jacko, or someone like him, again. Seven months into his tenure, Klein is making revolutionary changes at the cable network—scrapping signature broadcasts like "Crossfire" and "Inside Politics," shaking up his morning-show ensemble and his prime-time producing staff, and creating a new international news show at noon. These are only the first steps in a broad overhaul plan aimed at getting the pioneering and once dominant cable news network out of a seemingly perennial second-place finish, far behind Fox News. His unorthodox, even heretical game plan: serious news that doesn't put viewers to sleep. "There's a palpable thirst out there for the broad scope of stories if they're told in a compelling way," Klein says.

[Hobarticus]

1. "Michael dressed like Captain Crunch"...snort! eom

[CatWoman]

8. :)

[brooklynite]

23. What a truly silly comparison...

Michael Jackson has never worn an Admiral's hat or grown a mustache. If CNN can't get these facts correct, how can we trust them to cover the Downing Street Minutes?

[CatWoman]

33. ever notice how Perle looks like Frankenberry?

[fob]

18. As a fan of his I am offended at the association of Cap'n Crunch

with Michael Jackson!

:evilgrin:

[Hobarticus]

20. All I want to know is: where's Jean LaFoote when we need him?

I'd KILL for a heaping bowl of Cinnamon Crunch.

[TalkingDog]

37. My husband took sculpture from Capt. Crunch

well, the inspiration for him anyway....

Jack Baldwin was a sculptor, his brother was Gerard Baldwin a cartoonist and producer...

The story is that Jack was stinking drunk on a raft in the middle of the lake, he kept yelling: "I'm the captain of this ship!!!" until he fell off. Later, when tapped to illustrate the venerable Capt., Gerard did the only logical thing, he used his brother as a model. The big droopy mustache and bushy eyebrows are definitely commonalities.

And Smurfette was supposedly based on Jack's wife, Bunny.

[xultar]

2. Wake me when the real news is reported.

[Coexist]

3. I'm trying to be really hopeful about this

I keep checking regular CNN off and on to see if Aruba-girl or Mj is on - or if they're talking about something of importance to me.

[babylonsister]

4. I'll believe it when I see it, but having said that, I hope

CNN is finally going to do some hard reporting. It's ironic this is an MSNBC report; I guess it's too much to hope for that MSNBC might follow suit.

[MsTryska]

5. well i'm cynical....

however if this really does coem to pass, then perhaps all that hard work we did writing him letters will pay off. I might have to write him a new one, encouraging him.

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. Give Christiane Amanpour her own 3 hour show

and I may watch CNN again. Until they put some LIBERALS/PROGRESSIVES on the air, I'll stick with C-SPAN. A day late and a dollar short! CNN should NEVER have gone to the FAUX NEWS "darkside" to compete for the repuke viewers. They did. They lost me FOREVER until I see some true LIBERALS and some TRUTH in reporting. How about a 2 hour long special report on the DOWNING STREET MINUTES??????????? THAT may get me back.

[CrispyQ]

10. You have a great letter there,

with great suggestions! Send it to him as is.

:woohoo:

[goclark]

11. They worked hard to shut up Christine

Yea, let her tell us the truth for a change.
I really like her.

[tuvor]

7. Real news or not, there's sure to be a slant.

Gotta please the owners.

[GiovanniC]

9. Oh For Christ's Sake

MSNBC reporting a non-story about how CNN is going to not report non-stories as much.

Can these people be any less carbon-based lifeforms?

[NuttyFluffers]

14. well, gee, when you put it that way...

it seems even more stupid than i previously thought it was.
:woohoo:

[More Than A Feeling]

17. Yes

They could be reading a book about a computer simulation of an activity that is almost a sport. (reading the directions to a computer golf game);)

[spanone]

25. Yea, I love the press reporting on the press about their press coverage

utterly shameless bullshit.

[Toots]

12. This is a piece of news they can report on

We have decided to report the important news and to start off our first bit of real news is CNN will report the news. Now there is news of a sort that is much much different than Jacko. :shrug: Do they even have a glimmer how absurd they sound?

[iconoclastNYC]

13. If CNN wanted to be the left-wing FOX they'd have to do it very slowly

Don't you think? Even if they wanted to be more centrist...they'd have to do it under the radar. Maybe this is happening...lets hope. Personally i'd be happy if they just moved away from the tabloid trash.

[MsTryska]

16. why would they have to move slowly?

i'd give an organ for one of these stations to simpl say - you know what? we are now in opposition to the Government and therefore will report every negative story we can.


you cna choose to listen, or you can go to hell. oru ratings suck at the moment anyway.


Oh and Mr. Bush - if you don't want to give us any play in your pressroom -that's okay. we'll just stand outside and make up stuff. have a nice day! :hi:

[iconoclastNYC]

31. Because I think they'd lose thier credibility with the middle

if they swung overnight. better to do it under the radar. everything works better when it's under the radar. that's the modus operandi of this criminal administration.

[MsTryska]

32. You make a good point....It is the MO of this adminsitration

isn't it?


And youalso make a good point that wild pendulum swing would alienate the middle. but is the middle even paying attention these days?


i'm hardpressed to find anyone that pays attention to politics that hasn't been radicalized to one end or the other these days.

[asjr]

15. It will ultimately come down to who has Klein in their

pockets. I have absolutely no faith in our media today.

[merbex]

19. They should hire Bill Moyers n/t

[Cleita]

27. Yes, he came to my mind as well as Dan Rather.

eom

[GreenPartyVoter]

21. Someone needs to email him DU's addy and the addies of a few

major alternative news sources. Just so he can see how it should be done. ;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. CNN gonna report real news

SNORT... when pigs fly

[Writer]

24. With limited resources, he's going to have a tough job ahead of him...

but God's speed to you, Klein. I hope your work becomes an example to other news presidents.

Writer.

[Cleita]

26. A letter to the CEO of CNN.

Dear Mr. Klein:

It appears that you never watched CNN before it became MTV/CNN news, but it seems a return to some of that format would bring back the viewers who no longer watch CNN, like me. You see we need real journalism in our television news, real breaking news that aren't car chases or missing women, unless that woman is Laura Bush or Condaleeza Rice or other national figure of importance.

You see those other stories are really only local news and should be covered by their respective local news outlets. We need honest reporting about our public figures and politicians, even if it's damning. We know Fox, the Bush Administration propaganda channel, deals with sensationalism to distract from the real issues, and that's why we don't watch it.

So you don't want to be number two, however, in this case it would be a good thing. It makes CNN different. I don't know anything about you but I don't think you know anything about journalism. It would behoove you to start hiring some of those critters. You do have two good journalists on your staff right now, Christianne Amanpour and Lou Dobbs. They know how to leave their political biases behind when in search of the facts of the stories they report on.

To paraphrase another great journalist, Bill Moyers, you can't confuse journalism with liberalism. Exposing the truth as the facts emerge no matter who you shine a light on is real journalism. You could have a half an hour devoted to entertainment, or even an hour if you like, played intermittently through the day. This is where you put your Wacko Jacko stories.

Now my local news played Wacko Jacko a lot, because they broadcast from Santa Maria. It is an appropriate local story for them. I have to say, even so, they didn't obsess on it as much as you guys did. This little local station does a better job of reporting national and international news better than you do.

Well, this is my humble offerings of advice to you. I like that you have strolled in the orchard and discovered the rotting fruit on the trees that need to be culled. Next steps would be to bring in the news doctor, a real credentialed journalist, to help you with your programming.

Sincerely,

Cleita.

[MsTryska]

34. hey Cleita!

Good letter - but one thing....the line about "I don't know anything about you, but i don't think you know anything about journalism" might alienate the guy a bit.

From what i understand his background is journalism back when it meant soemthing.


I'm not sure what happenned now, but i would check ont hat, before putting that line in there. wouldn't want him to not hear the message jsut because his ego got ruffled. :)

[Cleita]

35. Thanks for the information. I will correct it.

:hi:

[nonconformist]

28. Yeah, we'll see.

"palpable thirst" for real news. They're just NOW figuring that out?

What they need to do is to stop worrying so much about their damn ratings, on if the news is "exciting" enough or if it's told in a "compelling" way. We're not fucking idiots. Stop treating us like we have the attention span of a 5 yr old and the intelligence and understanding of a 10 yr old. Stop dumbing it down - you're dumbing down America. You don't need to 'jazz up' the freaking news. I think CNN would be surprised what would happen if they started reporting real news in a meaningful way and treated us with some respect.

JUST REPORT ON THE GODDAMN NEWS. Tell the pundits to shut the hell up, tell your journalists to do some real work and report on the goddamn news. Leave the trash to Entertainment Tonight. Leave the propaganda and spin to Fox. For the love of Cronkite, report on the goddamn news. If you build it, they will come.

[graywarrior]

29. It's hard to go back with someone after breaking up because

they lied, cheated and treated you like shit. I'm done with CNN. If they fired Wolfie, I might be interested, but for now, I'm dating C-Span.

[lonestarnot]

30. Still not watching!

[dave29]

36. Let me know when Stewart and Colbert

are anchoring the nightly news on CNN and I'll tune in