Mary Katherine Ham @ Hot Air
“The music selection was a poor choice and was not intended to be linked to any news story,” a CNN spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. “We regret any perception that they were planned together.”
Several outlets are headlining this an “apology,” but it’s about a quarter-apology— the even lazier cousin of the half-apology so often adopted in media and politics.
Strange how these musically misogynistic mishaps always happen with prominent conservative women, huh? Well, there was this one, which throws off the pattern. Maybe it’s just women running to the right of Barack Obama?
Do we really think that, if CNN had made a similarly “poor selection” for a Nancy Pelosi story— say, I don’t know “A Perfect Lie”— it wouldn’t have issued an on-air apology?
But enough of this weak sauce. Let’s check in on the Brian Ross situation. Surely, ABC’s moving toward some sort of formal punishment for its investigative reporter after he erroneously connected Colorado shooter James Holmes to the Tea Party with nothing more than his gut and a Google search. Right?
Everyone at CNN knows perfectly well that it was deliberate and their semi-apology doesn’t wash. I’ve taken classes in broadcasting that included how news programs are shot and assembled. Except in the case of interview segments (which are almost always prerecorded or on a delay,) and for real “breaking” news and straight off the wire reports, everything is carefully planned and scripted. They don’t blindly select music from their archives. All content, from the words they will be speaking, to what particular clips and sound cues will be used is carefully scripted. Everyone from the Anchor, to the Sound-man, to the Director and Producer know what is going to be played, and when. Anyone who tells you any different is lying or they don’t know the format process.
Commentary program formats are more flexible than strict news programs, and often deviate from the script, but that is because they are not news reports, a should not be confused or considered “news”.
The “need to be first” is not an excuse for news reporting of anything but what is actually known. Whoever wrote Bryan Ross’ copy was deliberately trying to create a connection between the Tea Party and the movie murderer, and news journalists are expected to get their facts right the first time before reporting them. Reporting wild unfounded speculation in the news business is unprofessional and rightful grounds for defamation and slander lawsuits, because the public expects high ethical responsibility in news gathering. When a news reporter fails to do this, they lose the public trust and are considered nothing more than gossips and propagandists.
Like a squalling baby, CNN is trying to get some attention.
Their ratings are in the toilet.
CNN ratings have slipped to their lowest mark since 1991.
Nobody saw this.
THEY PREFER TO GET DOWN IN THE MUD THAN TELL THE TRUTH?