My Letter to CNN

12/16/07

Dear CNN,

I’m watching Blog Buzz at the moment (Sunday, 12/16/07), or should I say suffering through it. As usual in CNN’s relentless attempts to become Fox News lite, you have brought on a telegenic Republican to toe off against an unpalatable Democrat. This is exactly like Fox putting Prom King Hannity against walking skeleton Colmes, whom no progressives on the face of the earth would choose as their spokesperson. For the sake of our Democracy, if you gave me two weeks I could find dozens of attractive, eloquent representatives of the progressive viewpoint.

Every time I watch CNN the last few months, it is either worthless marshmallow fluff – entertainment news, or it is rancid pro-GOP talking points propaganda. Why have you taken a cue from the NewYork Times playbook and decided to report lies if they benefit the right rather than truth if it benefits the left? Why don’t you just hire Judith Regan and Judith Miller and turn your whole programming into an infomercial?

CNN used to be my main source of cable news. Now I only watch it to keep tabs on how bad it’s gotten, and I HAVE SWITCHED TO MSNBC. At least they have Olbermann, the only trustworthy person on TV, and Matthews and Abrams are jolted by his ratings into becoming his part-time imitators. On your station Cooper has epitomized the swing from willing progressive to purely Newstainment/ Right-Wing flack, Dobbs would never say anything good about any Democrat (nor check his facts when you look at the economic benefits from illegals, like the stacks of billions they pay into social security using false SS #’s, and the inflation containment they provide our economy), Blitzer is putrid as evidenced by his exchange with Michael Moore, where even the ostensibly reputable Dr. Gupta was proven to be a liar with this false balance. Look at the tapes, look at the facts, Michael Moore is so much more right on the facts then any of your personalities.

We should hear in every report on health that in France the doctor come to your door. Forget wait times in emergency rooms. THE DOCTOR IN FRANCE WILL COME TO YOUR DOOR. Why have we never heard that reported? I am so sick of the relentless right-wing propaganda. Stop trying to curry favor with the FCC or whatever is your motivation for ignoring progressives. I want to see the progressive viewpoint represented!

I want it be made palatable. This is not hard. In poll after poll, on every progressive issue, we have the majority of Americans. As a microcosm, while you continue to describe those against the Iraq War as the fringe anti-war left liberal wing of the Democratic Party, this supposedly minority fringe anti-war group is the MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY. 60-80% of people want us out of Iraq depending how pollsters ask the question.

So please consider attempting to fulfill your duty to the American people, give a little balance to your GOP talking points programming, find a way to get rid of Dobbs and that absurd little ant Blitzer, or at least balance them out. If you are lacking for ideas how to make progressive people and views palatable, contact me and I will line it up for you even with no resources. It is so easy to find loads of model good looking people who will intellectually crush their conservative counterparts. (Have you ever heard of Matt Gonzalez in California - or for that matter, John Edwards and Barak Obama?) That is, if you are willing to allow a fair fight on an even playing field. And as you can tell from my tone, I have zero confidence that you will improve. I will continue to watch for it when I have time.

I can’t believe the most credible news source in the mainstream media has become this prostituted, to the point the MSNBC, the station that fired Phil Donahue and hired Alan Keyes, is more credible. Please limit the fluff and get a little balance on air.

Truthful Media Starved Citizen of our Dictatorship,

David Moglen

Assoc. Professor of Economics at Foothill, Ohlone, and Evergreen Valley Colleges