Articles about "CNN"


Bob Schieffer, Howard Kurtz

Howard Kurtz apologizes, media critics react

Politico | Variety | The Wrap | The Washington Post | Tampa Bay Times
"I screwed up," Howard Kurtz said on his CNN show "Reliable Sources" Sunday. The prominent media reporter used half the show to address an extraordinary week in which he bungled a critique of Jason Collins' coming-out story in Sports Illustrated and left Newsweek/The Daily Beast -- events he maintained during the show were unconnected.

NPR's David Folkenflik and Politico's Dylan Byers -- who broke the news Kurtz was leaving The Daily Beast -- questioned him in the segment. Byers brought up previous Kurtz errors, asking him "Why so many mistakes?"

"I'd like to think that I built up a big store of credibility" Kurtz said at one point. Folkenflik pressed him on his role at the website Daily Download, saying "I was told by two separate people in the last 48 hours that from your mouth, you had said that you were a founder in this venture in trying to help Lauren attract grants and trying to help Lauren [Ashburn] establish this as a go-to site in a way that, you know, has been trying to do." (more...)
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Prank call sends police to Wolf Blitzer’s house

The Washington Post | The New York Times
Montgomery County, Md., police arrived at CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer's house Saturday evening after receiving a message claiming there had been a shooting there, Michael Laris reports.

After calling CNN, police learned that it was another case of "SWATing," in which hoaxters send disguised emergency messages hoping for a big police response. A CNN spokesperson told Laris that Blitzer was "traveling and unavailable for comment."

Security writer Brian Krebs had a dinner party interrupted by such a call in March. Adam Nagourney and Ian Lovett reported earlier this month that the problem has gotten so annoying in Southern California that police are responding more warily to distress calls from celebrities.

Previously: Hoax sends SWAT team to reporter’s house
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CNN got great Web traffic, ratings for its much-criticized Boston coverage

The New York Times | Gawker | Reuters
Last Friday wasn't just one of CNN's highest rating day "for all nonpolitical events since April 2003, when the channel was covering the Iraq war," as Bill Carter reported Monday; it was also a boffo traffic day online: CNN.com had more than 173 million page views, "the 3rd highest day on record after Election Days 2008 and 2012," CNN spokesperson Jenna DiMaria tells Poynter in an email.

This release doesn't mention that CNN's journalism took a few hits during its coverage. (New CNN President Jeff Zucker applauded his staff's work in a memo Dylan Byers obtained.) The network erroneously reported a suspect had been arrested last Wednesday, for instance. And then there's this:

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RolandMartin

When anchor jobs open up in cable news, people of color too often left out

Despite his history as an aggressive and sometimes fiery advocate, outgoing CNN analyst Roland Martin is surprisingly reserved when discussing the cable newschannel’s decision not to renew his contract after six years as a high-profile analyst, often speaking on black … Read more

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Confusing coverage in breaking news may be SOP, but pre-empting tweets is new

California manhunt subject Christopher Dorner may or may not be dead: Forensics investigators will look at the teeth and make chest X-rays of the charred corpse found in a rental cabin where police say the former Los Angeles police officer holed up and exchanged gunfire with cops.

That image perfectly encapsulates the gnarly reporting around last night's shootout. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office asked reporters to stop tweeting in the event Dorner was monitoring Twitter (police made the same request of TV viewers). Candy Martin, who was surprised to see her rental cabin on television -- told police it had "no cable, telephone or Internet service," the Los Angeles Times reported.

KPCC didn't comply with the request and posted some bewildered reaction from media outlets and consumers alike. "It's not unusual, particularly in a police standoff, for police to ask television in particular to be very careful in their live coverage," Poynter's Al Tompkins told me in a phone call. "But this idea of Twitter coverage is a new wrinkle." (more...)
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soledad

CNN may replace Soledad O’Brien’s ‘Starting Point’ with new morning show

Politico | The New York Times | IndyStar.com | TVNewser
CNN is planning to replace Soledad O’Brien’s “Starting Point” with a new morning show, Politico's Dylan Byers reports. The new program would be co-hosted by Chris Cuomo, who joins the cable network from ABC. O’Brien’s show has suffered low ratings, as has CNN generally, but a spokesperson tells Byers, "Soledad is very important to the network, and we're discussing various options with her."

The news comes one week after Jeff Zucker started as CNN's new president. Zucker, who was formerly NBC's president and chief executive, reportedly planned to start focusing on O'Brien's show after assuming his new role.

In a Q&A last month, The New York Times’ Andrew Goldman asked O’Brien if she was scared about the changes Zucker could make to "Starting Point." “Not at all,” she said. “He was my boss years ago when I worked at the ‘Today’ show. I’m absolutely thrilled to have him back.” (more...)
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Zucker bringing Chris Cuomo to CNN

The New York Times | TMZ | Politico | Maynard Institute
CNN is planning to announce it has hired former ABC anchor Chris Cuomo to host a morning show, Brian Stelter reports, confirming an earlier TMZ story.
The new president of CNN Worldwide, Jeffrey Zucker, has said that the mornings are a priority for him, and the television industry has been paying close attention to his plans because he led NBC’s “Today” show to ratings highs two decades ago.
Cuomo's father is former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, and his brother is current New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is said to be considering a run for president. CNN's current morning show, "Starting Point," draws 234,000 viewers on average, Stelter writes.

In other CNN news, Managing Editor Mark Whitaker has resigned, Dylan Byers reports. (more...)
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Zucker, Tapper enter new roles at CNN

Jeff Zucker has made some changes since officially taking over as CNN's boss Monday.

Darth Vader is back: James Earl Jones' voice once again announces "This is CNN" during breaks, Brian Stelter reports: Zucker "directed the marketing department to put the sound bite back into regular rotation, a CNN spokeswoman said."

The channel subsequently renewed its licensing deal for the sound bite, and that’s why Mr. Jones’s voice was heard during some of the commercial breaks on CNN’s inauguration coverage.
But don't think the network is bound by the past: CNN "must think even more broadly, and not always be bound by what has come before us," Zucker wrote in a memo. (more...)
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