CNN lost its credibility years ago, going back to at least the Obama Administration, but probably even earlier. But during the Bush and Obama years, there was a lingering sense of trust for some Americans, allowing CNN to keep its audience to weak but respectable levels.
When Donald Trump arrived on the scene in 2015, CNN and every other mainstream media outlet promoted and then exploited Trump Derangement Syndrome to the point that anyone afflicted with TDS was tuning in constantly to learn about how “the walls are closing in” with the outlandish Russia Hoax.
But Trump is no longer in the White House, having been replaced by a complete buffoon that they – the left and their media – propped up. CNN had already been exposed as frauds with their years of dishing out fake news. They followed up that credibility crisis with a series of recent scandals, including Chris Cuomo, pedophile producers, and the skirt-chasing Jeffrey Zucker. So, what did CNN decide to do? Try and charge customers to view programming that no one was watching for free. Good idea, folks.
Earlier this week, CNN launched its long-awaited – or more accurately described, its long-ignored – premium service known as CNN+. How effective has this latest attempt at regaining some of CNN’s long-gone glory been? On Wednesday, only two days after its launch, word came down that CNN+ employees have been alerted to the likelihood of layoffs. The debut of the Titanic was only slightly less successful than that of CNN+.
Consider this news from Charles Gasparino:
Breaking: @CNNplus employees bracing for layoffs possibly as soon as May amid projections of lackluster sales of new streaming channel; CNN employees say new streaming channel could be merged into larger @discoveryplus as early as May unless subscriptions pick up 130 @FoxBusiness
— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) March 30, 2022
CNN has been hemorrhaging viewers for years now, (continued)
and the network was recently sold to Discovery. Additionally, it appears that CNN’s new bosses are not interested in their commitment to leftist propaganda. In late February it was reported that Discovery bigwig John Malone will:
“[P]lay a huge role in the new organization’s plans to return CNN to its news channel roots and dismantle the partisan organization Zucker [had] shifted it into.”
It was later noted that:
“Malone is using CNN’s coverage of Ukraine as an example of the news network he wants back. Excellent journalists, covering events without partisan peacocking.”
After the infuriating bias from CNN we’ve had to endure over the years, conservatives may struggle to not gloat and revel in CNN’s misery. When we add into the equation the prospects of which individuals might find themselves on the chopping block – including two of the most blatantly dishonest anchors they have, Don Lemon and Brian Stelter – some of us might get downright giddy. But ultimately there’s an even better reason to be pleased, other than the satisfaction of seeing liars like Lemon and Stelter get their just desserts.
What may be devastating news for CNN and its employees should be good news for America. The reality is, we need good journalism. The press has often been called the fourth branch of government, and we need a fair and unbiased media. As CNN and MSNBC frequently asserted with a wink and a nod during the Trump years: facts matter… and indeed they do. And if CNN could somehow bring itself to be a truly neutral arbiter in its reporting of the news, the turnaround in their financial fortunes would be remarkable. Americans have been thirsting for unbiased news sources for decades, and there’s a nice wide lane available for CNN to move into if they choose.
By Jess Lawson
Jess Lawson is a regular contributor to The Blue State Conservative and a passionate, conservative millennial who loves America.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Blue State Conservative. The BSC is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any information presented.
Featured photos by {Lemon} Neon Tommy, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, and {Stelter} nrkbeta, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
This post originally appeared on The Blue State Conservative.
