Eric, I love your writing. I love your truth-telling. I love what you stand for and I love your will to do your best to be true to your faith.
HOWEVER, please, please, please get an editor, or somebody, to help you doublecheck your work.
You made a huge case about Zucker's attitude toward morals, and you accused him of "flaunting" the rules about relationships. Not just once. You did it repeatedly. What Zucker did was to "flout" the rules. To say that Zucker "flaunted" the rules is to say that he displayed them ostentatiously. Instead he displayed contempt for the rules; he treated those rules with contemptuous disregard. He flouted them.
This piece is powerful for its truth, and I appreciate the fact that you wrote it. I knew what you meant even as the repetition of the word "flaunt" abraded my mental skin. Thank you for writing it. The other truth is that Zucker flaunted what he believed to be his freedom to flout rules that control others. That is the image we all shudder to see not only in the world of pseudo-journalists, but also in the world of political power. It simply shows us how we are more and more becoming a nation subdued by powerful people who flout the standards they apply to others.
I appreciate your writing, and this issue of diction doesn't change my appreciation. Still, I do recommend you find a reader to doublecheck your writing before you publish it. Your message is too important to be muddled this way.
Your best content in this piece are the parallels between Zucker and his CNN colleagues and Trump and his supporters. Very insightful. But CNN lost me long before Zucker. They bashed GW Bush relentlessly and anxiously awaited his next mush-mouthed gaffe so they could gleefully demonstrate his "incompetence" to the world. Did they do the same with BHO when he had similar gaffes? Of course not. They screamed "No blood for oil" while conveniently forgetting every democrat who, pre-invasion, had agreed with Colin Powell's assessment that Sadam Hussein likely had WMDs. On multiple occasions they were accused of having the same group of "actors" show up at US strike sites posing as injured and dead, always protesting the US "occupation." They were king-makers with BHO and clown-makers with GW. If you want to talk Bernard Shaw and the 1991 Gulf War, I'm totally onboard. But by Operation Enduring Freedom something had changed and, IMO, they no longer were deserving of James Earl Jones' "THIS is CNN."
My head hurts from trying to understand how ‘journalists’ can prop up politicians like Obama and deride politicians like George Bush. Go after them all, always. Do they
have a smidge of integrity, personal pride? Never ceases to amaze me. Glad they’re not engineers where we have to ride on their creations. Engineers have to deal with facts. Journalists should too to earn the name ‘Journalist’.
You know, I detect a true sense of loss from you in this piece. I've been in similar situations, but not like you were with CNN. Your analysis--while certainly" inside baseball"--is balanced and compassionate. While this piece will not be well received, it actually is written by someone who cares. I don't really care for CNN--not really in love with FOX, more of a "like." Yet I came away from this with a profound sense of sadness. This highlights your character Erick. Sincerely, thank you.
"So the pendulum swings, now violently, now slowly; and every institution not only carries within it the seeds of its own dissolution, but prepares the way for its most hated rival." - William Ralph Inge.
CNN began to counter MSM bias. Thank-you Ted Turner. FOX News came about to counter CNN extremism. It's too bad, for this country, we don't have many true journalists with the integrity to report the story, sans bias, and let the people do what they will with the news. I believe you still try to maintain integrity in your show and writings. Thank-you for that. Truth matters. Keep up the good work and keep the faith.
Among other brilliance at CNN we have "Boeing 777 will struggle to maintain altitude once the fuel tanks are empty" and "mostly peaceful protests". Did any of those names you list question idiotic statements made by folks on their network? Don't get me wrong, I'm no Fox fan, but for news to be trusted, a news channel shouldn't hesitate to question their own.
Your comparison between Trump and Zucker is way off. Trump never purported to be squeaky clean. CNN, directed from the top(?), berated Trump (and others) for things they themselves were doing.
Thanks for elaborating on your experiences with both Networks. I remember in college in Miami in 1979, a visiting reporter brought in to talk to our Communications class was telling us about a new 24 hour cable News network he was working with to get started, which turned out to be CNN. That was back when Turner was like Roger Ailes--upset with the Left-of-center bias with the big 3 networks. Seems like Zucker was a Progressive activist, and News was secondary.
Just curious Erick--is it safe to say that min 90% of national journalists are Progressive in ideology? That is where the bias begins.
Why is that (national journalists)? That’s my non-ending quest to understand. Maybe as they are the only ones to be hired? Can’t get my brain around it.
IF you meant local Erick--I beg to disagree. Case-in-point--here in Orlando, we had great local anchors who were fair (most attended local churches here). They have all been replaced with younger more Liberal personalities.
Unique perspective we’ll get nowhere else. Sounded like you were writing this right to your friends at CNN. Hope the ones there with wisdom will listen.
Erick, this is one of your best pieces. I haven’t watched CNN in years. But I know that America needs CNN to get back to being a responsible organization.
Fair assessment of CNN although I disagree about the journalistic integrity of some of the names you listed. With your history at Fox it would be good to see an assessment of them. I personally have grown weary of some of the hard right, over the top cheerleading by some of the commentator's at Fox. There are shows on Fox I can no longer watch because of their extreme right views.
Eric, I love your writing. I love your truth-telling. I love what you stand for and I love your will to do your best to be true to your faith.
HOWEVER, please, please, please get an editor, or somebody, to help you doublecheck your work.
You made a huge case about Zucker's attitude toward morals, and you accused him of "flaunting" the rules about relationships. Not just once. You did it repeatedly. What Zucker did was to "flout" the rules. To say that Zucker "flaunted" the rules is to say that he displayed them ostentatiously. Instead he displayed contempt for the rules; he treated those rules with contemptuous disregard. He flouted them.
This piece is powerful for its truth, and I appreciate the fact that you wrote it. I knew what you meant even as the repetition of the word "flaunt" abraded my mental skin. Thank you for writing it. The other truth is that Zucker flaunted what he believed to be his freedom to flout rules that control others. That is the image we all shudder to see not only in the world of pseudo-journalists, but also in the world of political power. It simply shows us how we are more and more becoming a nation subdued by powerful people who flout the standards they apply to others.
I appreciate your writing, and this issue of diction doesn't change my appreciation. Still, I do recommend you find a reader to doublecheck your writing before you publish it. Your message is too important to be muddled this way.
I wonder if Jonah Goldberg spoke with you before taking that gig. I'm anxious to see how he gets treated.
Your best content in this piece are the parallels between Zucker and his CNN colleagues and Trump and his supporters. Very insightful. But CNN lost me long before Zucker. They bashed GW Bush relentlessly and anxiously awaited his next mush-mouthed gaffe so they could gleefully demonstrate his "incompetence" to the world. Did they do the same with BHO when he had similar gaffes? Of course not. They screamed "No blood for oil" while conveniently forgetting every democrat who, pre-invasion, had agreed with Colin Powell's assessment that Sadam Hussein likely had WMDs. On multiple occasions they were accused of having the same group of "actors" show up at US strike sites posing as injured and dead, always protesting the US "occupation." They were king-makers with BHO and clown-makers with GW. If you want to talk Bernard Shaw and the 1991 Gulf War, I'm totally onboard. But by Operation Enduring Freedom something had changed and, IMO, they no longer were deserving of James Earl Jones' "THIS is CNN."
My head hurts from trying to understand how ‘journalists’ can prop up politicians like Obama and deride politicians like George Bush. Go after them all, always. Do they
have a smidge of integrity, personal pride? Never ceases to amaze me. Glad they’re not engineers where we have to ride on their creations. Engineers have to deal with facts. Journalists should too to earn the name ‘Journalist’.
You know, I detect a true sense of loss from you in this piece. I've been in similar situations, but not like you were with CNN. Your analysis--while certainly" inside baseball"--is balanced and compassionate. While this piece will not be well received, it actually is written by someone who cares. I don't really care for CNN--not really in love with FOX, more of a "like." Yet I came away from this with a profound sense of sadness. This highlights your character Erick. Sincerely, thank you.
Thanks for that. Very kind of you.
The Japanese Emperor also brought the empire's troops to a high level of team spirit.
Look what it got them. I think CNN's troops will get the same treatment. And they deserve it.
"So the pendulum swings, now violently, now slowly; and every institution not only carries within it the seeds of its own dissolution, but prepares the way for its most hated rival." - William Ralph Inge.
CNN began to counter MSM bias. Thank-you Ted Turner. FOX News came about to counter CNN extremism. It's too bad, for this country, we don't have many true journalists with the integrity to report the story, sans bias, and let the people do what they will with the news. I believe you still try to maintain integrity in your show and writings. Thank-you for that. Truth matters. Keep up the good work and keep the faith.
Among other brilliance at CNN we have "Boeing 777 will struggle to maintain altitude once the fuel tanks are empty" and "mostly peaceful protests". Did any of those names you list question idiotic statements made by folks on their network? Don't get me wrong, I'm no Fox fan, but for news to be trusted, a news channel shouldn't hesitate to question their own.
Your comparison between Trump and Zucker is way off. Trump never purported to be squeaky clean. CNN, directed from the top(?), berated Trump (and others) for things they themselves were doing.
Thanks for elaborating on your experiences with both Networks. I remember in college in Miami in 1979, a visiting reporter brought in to talk to our Communications class was telling us about a new 24 hour cable News network he was working with to get started, which turned out to be CNN. That was back when Turner was like Roger Ailes--upset with the Left-of-center bias with the big 3 networks. Seems like Zucker was a Progressive activist, and News was secondary.
Just curious Erick--is it safe to say that min 90% of national journalists are Progressive in ideology? That is where the bias begins.
I think national journalists overwhelmingly lean left. Ironically, in my experience, most lost news people lean right.
Why is that (national journalists)? That’s my non-ending quest to understand. Maybe as they are the only ones to be hired? Can’t get my brain around it.
IF you meant local Erick--I beg to disagree. Case-in-point--here in Orlando, we had great local anchors who were fair (most attended local churches here). They have all been replaced with younger more Liberal personalities.
local? If so, I'd have to disagree.
"lost"?
Unique perspective we’ll get nowhere else. Sounded like you were writing this right to your friends at CNN. Hope the ones there with wisdom will listen.
Erick, this is one of your best pieces. I haven’t watched CNN in years. But I know that America needs CNN to get back to being a responsible organization.
NewsNation out of Chicago is more like CNN once was.
Thanks for the heads-up!
I've been on there several times and they really do take a no-nonsense approach.
They still are not well known but I go there for what I used to go to CNN --quick check on unbiased news.
Amen! Good Journalism 101 on NN. I hope they don't get absorbed by CNN or NBC.
I like your inside baseball and inside politics. It's the main reason I listen and subscribe. I'd like to see more of it.
Fair assessment of CNN although I disagree about the journalistic integrity of some of the names you listed. With your history at Fox it would be good to see an assessment of them. I personally have grown weary of some of the hard right, over the top cheerleading by some of the commentator's at Fox. There are shows on Fox I can no longer watch because of their extreme right views.