Reactions over at CNN

My article describing how domestic profit motives shape CNN's International newsgathering and reporting has gotten lots of play around the blogosphere. Thanks to everybody who linked to it, and for all the thoughtful discussion. Over at Daily Kos it generated a discussion thread of over 100 comments.

Somebody at CNN posted the essay in a part of CNN's internal computer system where people post news (both internal and external) about CNN.  A number of people - former colleagues as well as people I've never met who work at CNN - emailed me to say they agreed with what I wrote.  I'm told that after a few hours somebody "killed" it out of the system, but my sources tell me that somebody else put it back... right above an announcement that veteran Southeast Asia correspondent Maria Ressa will soon be leaving.

Emailed comments (I'm not naming authors) included:

"it was an unofficial must-read on the CNNI floor -- more cheers than jeers."

"If things continue as they are, might have to become a lawyer very soon."

On the essay's deletion: "So much for the free flow of information!"

As for me, I'm still reveling in my newfound freedom of speech. When I worked for CNN I had to get management's permission every time I was invited to do any form of public speaking or writing.

Comments

[barry]

It's quite a piece. I commented on it here but the key point is this:

What Rebecca doesn't discuss is the effect of these sorts of choices made by the networks. It's my view that the intensity of coverage given such lurid -- but, to the State of the Union, largely irrelevant -- topics as gay marriage and the murder trial du jour has successfully distracted the public from serious issues of war and peace and the impending financial bankruptcy of the US. By raising firestorms of hatred against gays --a key factor in Kerry's defeat -- haven't the networks broken their trust with America to provide objective journalism? Doesn't CNN and the rest own some of the results of the past election?

[Rebecca]

Barry, you're right, the impact of these choices wasn't addressed in my essay because it's not something I was able to quantify. But it's absolutely key. I agree, CNN not only owns some of the results of the past election, but it and the rest of the U.S. media played a big role in making the Iraq war possible. Because they wanted it to happen. Management hoped it would be good for ratings and individual journalists anticipated that the war would be good for their careers.