No matter were they turn to try to spin the story, CNN steps on a rake, walks into a lamp post, trips over a curb, or falls into a manhole. The release of taped phone conversations by Project Veritas from months of CNN conference calls with CEO Jeff Zucker has Zucker, the network, and even their ”journalists” scrambling to deal with the fallout.
Fact-check – They are not dealing with the fallout at all.
Just for openers, there was the tantrum-like announcement by the CNN Communications team that they were going to contact the authorities over the recordings.
Legal experts say this may be a felony. We‘ve referred it to law enforcement.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) December 1, 2020
Making this a pathetic threat/promise/whine is that over the course of this summer CNN — in a bid to curry favor with Black Lives Matter — did a number of reports where they clearly showed support for defunding the police.
CAMEROTA: "What if in the middle of the night my home is broken into. Who do I call?"
BENDER: "Yes, I hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors. And I know — and myself, too, and I know that that comes from a place of privilege." pic.twitter.com/WhubQ9yJIf
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) June 8, 2020
Just precious. They want the authorities disbanded, until it comes time for their elitist outfit to claim some offense; then suddenly the police are a valid and worthwhile enterprise.
Not content with one hypocritical stance, regarding this same issue CNN has a remarkably short-term memory. See, when it comes to those who tape phone conversations without full permission of all parties and release them for the purpose of making a political hit, CNN is not always opposed.
It was almost two months ago exactly when the network was more than thrilled to be running the secretly taped phone conversations of Melania Trump, in an attempt to smear her prior to the election.
CNN – is leaking private conversations legal or illegal? It was celebrated when Melania’s tapes were leaked by Stephanie Wolkoff but now it’s illegal with @JamesOKeefeIII? I hope people can really see how MSM is manipulating your liberals’ brains. #CNNTapes
— TJ (@ItsTJChang) December 2, 2020
"Journalism for me, but not for thee"https://t.co/GFiiEixX7n
— Jonathan VanBuskirk (@FreestyleEngr) December 2, 2020
Not elitist in the least. Don Jr. also called them out over this hypocrisy.
It’s amazing that CNN had no problem aggressively running with secretly recorded audio tapes of the First Lady non-stop for weeks, but has a serious problem when someone does the exact same thing to them!
If it wasn’t for double standards, they would have no standards at all. https://t.co/THV2PpHmiN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 2, 2020
Meanwhile Jeff Zucker is running around in spin mode, desperate to defang any reports about the release of the tapes and looking rather lost, if not outright desperate.
He first launched at Tucker Carlson, who did a segment on the CNN narrative control that was exposed. Carlson covered how Marcus Mabry, who is CNN’s Digital VP of Global Programming, was lecturing on severe diversity measures as he himself resides in a crystal cathedral of elite protection as part of the guard at CNN corporate.
Again, the CNN PR team went into overdrive to protect their alleged honor — and once again they ended up stepping on a landmine that they had initially planted.
James & Tucker, the voice you ID’d tonight as “Marcus Mabry” is actually GA resident & CNN General Counsel David Vigilante. We’re certain you’ll want to correct the record and apologize to the Black executive for assuming he was the voice raising concerns over white supremacy.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) December 2, 2020
Only one problem — Tucker did not identify any voice. He played a video of Mabry discussing the very things Tucker had referred to. In fact, Carlson never alluded to the Veritas tape at all.
From Tucker Carlson Tonight PR: This is a lie. We never ID'd any voice or aired audio recordings of CNN executives. Check out tonight's segment which is of Marcus Mabry on camera. Facts First, right? https://t.co/zeBNaF99a3
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) December 2, 2020
We are certain CNN Communications will want to correct their record, and apologize to Tucker. Ahem.
And the embarrassments did not stop there. Chris Cillizza made the attempt to say there was nothing objectionable in the tapes, with Jeff Zucker heard ”just doing his job”. What Chris tries to call ”editorial direction” involved Zucker doing things like dictation how they would cover both sides of the political landscape differently, as well as declaring which stories they would kill outright and not cover.
It was enough to justify trotting out one of Cillizza’s classics.
I don’t care what age I am or what future technology will look like, I will always have a screenshot of Cillizza’s “Reporters don’t root for a side” tweet ready to go. pic.twitter.com/9OxWFkcOeW
— Cameron Cawthorne (@Cam_Cawthorne) August 18, 2020
All this time we just thought the release of these tapes would serve as a touchstone going forward to use as a neutering tool with the network. Watching CNN turn into a herd of clowns in the matter of just one day as a result has been a joyous side-effect.
Things should only get better going forward.
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