When Did CNN Become a Shill for GOP Extremism and the Tea Party?

AlterNet by Adele M. Stan | Sep. 12, 2011 (Opinion)
Tea Party Express is not a grassroots group; it's a registered political PAC that funds right-wing candidates. And CNN is helping them.

CNN, once known for its unflinching coverage of actual news events, last night decided to become a maker, not a chronicler, of news. When the cable news network decided to partner with the Tea Party Express for a debate among the Republican presidential candidates, it cast aside any ethical concerns a news organization might have about direct involvement in elections and active engagement in altering the dynamics of a political party. Full Story »

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Bob Herrschaft
4.5
 by Bob Herrschaft - Sep. 13, 2011

As expected, the Republican debate revealed very few differences among the candidates...but, as this article points out, it revealed much more about CNN's policy shift with the winds of political change.

Each time a news organization partners with a constituency group in a presidential debate, it accords that group a greater impact than competing constituencies — and that’s troubling enough. But when a news organization partners with a group that gives money directly to candidates and that makes attack ads against candidates it doesn’t fancy, that news organization has crossed the line into electioneering. And that’s just plain wrong.

…and so the mythical middle embraces the right…or, at least finds out how much it is willing to pay for its services.

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