CNN is basically the worst of all the mainstream news channels, which ties it with Fox News. Jeff Zucker, president of CNN, acts on the mantra of “give the people what they want.” However, this mantra has led to 24-hour cycle of ratings-raking B.S.
Admitting that “chaos is good for CNN,” Zucker has ran with that statement.
As noted by New York Magazine’s Gabriel Sherman, Zucker’s mantra has drawn criticism that CNN’s current, entertainment-centric broadcasting is loathed compared to Ted Turner’s philosophy that “the news is the star.” Furthermore, critics also say that CNN’s ratings chase is “journalistically suspect.”
CNN was constantly skewered for its ad-nauseam coverage of MH370’s disappearance. The channel constantly brought forth “updates with no new information.” CNN took a distressing, entertainment-centric approach to the event and wrung it dry to draw ratings, and CNN is still dedicating online content to it.
Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart has been one of CNN’s harshest critics, and the network’s continuous, mind-numbing coverage drew much criticism from Stewart.
CNN saw the flight’s disappearance a chance to shamelessly cash in on a news story that people thought was enticing and interesting by creating something out of nothing. CNN was looking for the Titanic in a mud puddle and gettings ratings while doing it.
Vice’s co-founder Shane Smith even had some choice words about CNN, Sherman noted. Smith said that “Everything they [CNN] do is a fucking disaster.” However, despite these criticisms from those who actually understand media and what real reporting should be, Zucker remains complacent and unreasonably sure of himself.
“I don’t take Vice seriously,” said Zucker. “They produce 15 hours of television [a month]. We’re going to do that between now and tonight.” And about Stewart, Zucker said “We’re on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He’s doing one seven-minute monologue four nights a week with 20 writers.”
It’s true that CNN constantly pumps news coverage on the cable television landscape, but just because there’s a lot of something doesn’t mean it’s good. No one sees CNN embedding reporters on ride-alongs with ISIS fighters to get inside coverage like Vice did, and CNN doesn’t have the astute, media-awareness of Stewart.
Journalism should be about quality, not quantity. Nancy Grace isn’t exactly the epitome of smart and in-touch journalism. Keep churning the crap enough, and people will start to realize the stench.