CNN International & Domestic

I hope Quest doesn't start crying during his 'Profitable Moments'...


I have noticed how dramatic Becky Anderson is at times these days. Especially at the start of Connect the World, as they now play a very US-style montage of news clips to dramatic music before the first story.
She is still an excellent presenter and interviewer. But Connect the World is another CNNI programme that's become too US centric, defeating the purpose of it being based in the UAE on a global news channel.
QMB and First Move are also mostly US news these days - you'd hardly know that Asia and Europe even have stock exchanges if you relied on CNNI!

Wolf is pretty much the only CNN US person I can stand these days. The last one with gravitas who at least tries to be somehow measured and objective.

That clip is embarassing - really not how you expect a news presenter to behave. And one problem Domestic has is that some anchors - looking at Cuomo and Lemon here- act like they are the news and seem to use it as their own personal amdram audition.

However, I think it's easy for Beeb presenters or supporters to just air a clip like that and pretend that's all US news output and that the UK broadcasters are perfect (certainly the BBC News Channel is far from that these days).
Yes US cable news can be a partisan free-for-all but I think CNN is one of the more palatable cable news outlets and on both Domestic and International they have plenty of superb presenters and correspondents annd those like Lemon are not the rule.

I do like the fact CNN has shown a bit more bite and seen their role as journalists as being 'facts first' and pointing out when false statements are made which is something journalists absolutely should do.
One frustrating thing about UK news output is the 'both sidesing' of arguments when it really isn't warranted (e.g. Nigel Lawson being used by Today to debate climate change) and not really criticially examining or challenging arguments and just the overall timid feel of it all. Some of the coverage of Brexit has been pathetic at times and it's honestly infuriating to watch the likes of Ash Shakar, Tom Harwood, Claire Fox, Isabel Oakeshott, Brendan O'Neill etc being wheeled out time after time to just spout absolute partisan nonsense unchallenged.
If a politician is talking nonsense, a journalist should absolutely be able to point that out to a viewer and to highlight the reality and facts. If the news is just there to blindly say 'X said this, Y said that' without context there's not much point to it - news should be highlighting too what the context is, why something is important and if what this person is saying is accurate and explain it to viewers.

Jeff Zucker does get a lot of criticism on here but recent months have shown that when big news breaks (particularly on the political side) or big events take place people do flock to CNN which wasn't always the case in years past. Its more brash but still largely journalistically strong style these days seems to help it stand out more in a way it didn't a while back.

That said with a Democrat president in a few days interest may wane in CNN from viewers if the news itself starts to finally get less exciting and with less material to work with they may start to lose that style that's worked for them in recent years. The best way to try and keep it is to still be 'facts first' but to apply to whoever is saying something whether it be Democrat, Republican or anybody.

That's more than a bit harsh. I think CNNUS still has some great correspondents and presenters.

Of the presenters I think Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, John Berman, Alisyn Camerota, Poppy Harlow and Christine Romans among others are all excellent and it's always nice whenever Amara Walker appears for us CNNI viewers. I don't see a lot of Briana Keilar but from when I have seen her she does seem a great journalist and very quick to point out obvious nonsense.

Similarly with correspondents and analysts the likes of Abby Philip, Kaitlin Collins, Gloria Borger, Phil Mattingly and Donie O'Sullivan are all fantastic.

If I may say so, one of Zucker's legacy is that he has cheapened what the phrase "Breaking News" means. In the past, the banner is used once every 2-3 days, sometimes for a few minutes only. Now, almost every CNN programme every day includes "Breaking News" in its banner and it is something that has predated the outgoing POTUS.

You'd hardly know that CNNI is an international news channel if you look at its schedule and notice how most of its schedule is now simulcasts of CNN US programming

I don't know - in my mind Situation Room is one of the worst CNN shows when it comes to melodrama, crashes and bangs what with the music, dramatic headlines, constant 'breaking news' and Wolf telling everyone to stand by all the time. Add in Wolf's emotionless but shouty delivery and it's all far too much..
A particular example on Youtube was this one - by the end of it you feel like you need a liedown and some fo those headlines are beyond tacky - 'COUP UNDERWAY','MILE OF HORROR' and 'MIDNIGHT MISGIVINGS'.


You can tell it's from a while ago though as it's an international story of all things leading the hour which is borderline unheard of in recent years.

I wouldn't argue with that at all - it's a bigger surprise these days if a programme doesn't start with 'not breaking' "Breaking News". I didn't actually realise there was a version of TSR titles that ends without the "Breaking News" titles and voiceover.

One thing about this clip is that the top three stories that day were all international stories, and the Trump story relegated to 4th! I wouldn't mind CNNUS simulcasts if they at least attempted to cover international stories.

But I agree, TSR is way overly dramatic for my personal taste.

Don Lemon has said on Instagram that he has a "big announcement" to make on his show tomorrow. No reference to what it is about though.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKKgE4xHi-h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Don Lemon in his pyjamas? What would the UK think if Huw Edwards, Simon McCoy or Mary Nightingale appeared on social media in their bed attire to tease a big announcement?

Ironically - IMO - that clip just sums up CNN these days. World News Leader?

Give me CNNI London or Abu Dhabi any day over this trash.

That's The Situation Room finishing up the weekend specials, apparently they only thought they'd do them for a few weeks but, well, news.





As for the other things, I think all domestic presenters are guilty of becoming more opinionated over the last few years. John King, Abby Phillip and people like Jim Sciutto are the most sensible/least dramatic. At the other end of the scale, the biggest ego by far is Chris Cuomo. I can't see him sticking around for long into a Biden presidency, tbh. He just wants to opine about "ReTrumplicans" (his witty word) night after night... ugh.

As for Don's announcement, pure speculation but they did have Laura Coates hosting the first hour of CNN Tonight back in November so maybe that's something to do with it? As it stands, domestic broadcasts from 4pm to midnight live Mon-Fri with only one hour hosted by a female anchor. Maybe they want to address that - the weekend political shows will have more permanent female hosting from next week.