Long time CNN anchor shares that if hosts slam MAGA guests you could be fired
Plus info on to help defeat Ted Cruz!
| DEAN OBEIDALLAH SEP 28, 2024 deanobeidallah@substack.com |
We all watched in disbelief as the CNN moderators failed to fact check Donald Trump during the June presidential debate as he unleashed a firehose of lies. Beyond that we’ve seen other CNN anchors remain silent when MAGA representatives are on air peddling misinformation. Why? Well as former long time CNN anchor Don Lemon candidly told me, those anchors fear being fired because the policy to allow Trump and MAGA supporters spew lies on air comes from the top.
Lemon explained in our interview on Friday that the demise of corporate media can be linked to corporate media outlets –not just CNN of course—repeatedly “both siding” issues regarding Trump and the unique threat he poses.
Lemon said something that I doubt most corporate media executives grasp: “The viewers are very smart.” They fully understand as Lemon noted that Trump—who attempted a coup, has been convicted of 34 felonies for cheating in the 2016 election, is an adjudicated rapist, openly peddles bigotry—and Democratic candidates are not in the same galaxy. Lemon added that viewers understand this and hence are turned off by, “this fake equivalency.”
That is when Lemon laid down unvarnished truth for all. As Lemon stated, if an anchor does “call out the MAGA person and say, ‘Look, you’re lying, or you’re out of your mind, or you’re crazy, or this is bullshit’” the real world impact is that, “Then you may lose your job.”
That concern weighs on each and every person working in corporate media.
But the normalization of Trump and dishonest coverage is also why CNN news ratings have dropped over the past four years. In August 2020, CNN attracted about 1.7 million average viewers in primetime on a daily basis.
Flash forward to August 2024. While Fox News and MSNBC have seen drops in ratings, CNN’s has been the most dramatic on a percentage basis. In August 2024, CNN attracted barley one million viewers in primetime each night—down from 1.7 million in August 2020. In July, it was even worse for CNN with only 850,000 viewers a night in primetime—a drop of more than 50% from 2020.
This huge dip in viewership for CNN is because we all get that the coverage under their new owners and leadership is designed to normalize Trump—and in turn help him politically.
Of course, this is not just a CNN issue. We’ve seen the NY Times and other corporate media outlets engage in dishonest coverage of Trump because he is good for their business. And as I wrote about just last week, there are actually other reasons why corporate media is now back to “All Trump, All The Time.”
You can watch my interview of Don Lemon below where he bluntly shares what fuels corporate media. Plus we talk his compelling new book, “I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America.” Don’s book also powerfully addresses what we are seeing today with the GOP as they attempt to turn America into a theocracy.
-Need a Laugh?!
Every Friday on my show it’s time for “What Just Happened?!” as we look back at the insanity of the week! Joining me this week are comedian/Co-Creator of The Daily Show and activist Lizz Winstead, Comedian/Host Podcast “Fake The Nation” Negin Farsad & comedian Jonathan Randall.
Help defeat Ted Cruz!!
I spoke with Rep. Colin Allred on Thursday about his tight race against Ted Cruz for US Senate. In fact, a recent Morning Consult poll had Allred up by one point. Allred made it clear that to defeat Cruz he needs everyone’s help. For those who want to help defeata Cruz, here is Allred’s campaign website.
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