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Calling It – Time of Death for CNN+ Is…One Month

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Apr 21, 2022
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"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage of the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation. We'll look to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.

04.21.22

Presentation Paradox – CNN+

  • It could take more than a month to research all the ways this went wrong.

The fiasco that has been the rollout of CNN+ has been fascinating to watch for numerous and obvious reasons, but even this announcement is almost surprising, at least in terms of its timing. The declaration that this streaming platform would revolutionize the network makes it all the more disastrous.

With each passing day, it has been obvious in a mounting fashion that the new streaming service was a bust, but the only question has been what will the new overlords of CNN do with its dysfunctional service: Roll it into HBO Max? Bundle it with the other services and foist it on customers? Go with an ad-supported version to lure in more subscribers? Well, we now have the answer. 

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The brand spanking new streaming platform is such a disaster Warners/Discovery is simply yanking the plug on this dismal failure.

It debuted on Tuesday, March 29. This enterprise did not last 24 days before the management looked at the results and decided to cut its losses before incurring any more bleeding. 

This could become a historic event. Like New Coke, Google Glass, The Smart Car, and Purple Ketchup, it looks like CNN+ will qualify to be a fixture in The Museum of Failure. 

Low Octane Gas Lighting – WASHINGTON POST

It is bad enough that Taylor Lorenz put out a vindictive hit piece that doxxed the backer of the account Libs of Tik Tok, but the paper itself has been embarrassingly inept in handling the blowback to the article. The Washington Post has held the following positions on this particular piece:

  • It doxxed a woman 
  • Removed her details 
  • Gave official word it never doxxed her
  • Confirmed it had doxxed her
  • Declared the information as public and non-essential

As amazing as this list of ineptitude is, the bumbling is magnified by the paper doing all of this in the span of just two days. This decision to bring on Lorenz at the paper is going just fine, gang. 

Matching Media Memorandum – VARIOUS OUTLETS

  • If a journalist is suggesting Taylor Lorenz performs the apex of journalism, are they really a journalist?

As the WaPo hit job on Libs of Tik Tok continues to fester for the paper, so are the defenses that were thrown up for Taylor Lorenz. As many guys rose up to proclaim her work as a sterling example of journalism, they resorted to a common theme, and it just gets more embarrassing by the day. 

It was bad enough when Politico's Alex Thompson likened Lorenz to a Watergate-level journalist for going after someone putting out mean tweets, but he joined in with others to push a ridiculous narrative about her tactics.

Reporting on the Mirror – NEW YORK MAGAZINE

In a lengthy fluff bio piece in New York Mag, they featured the newly announced Managing Editor for the New York Times would be Joe Kahn. Deep in the piece was this completely bizarre photo of Joe posed on the floor, looking about as natural as a plastic lawn flamingo. The risible image has to raise questions about his judgment about what he considers to be approved copy. 

Presentation Paradox – MSNBC

  • Speaking of money, Symone, the network does not seem to be getting their worth after hiring you.

"Meet the Press Daily" had on recent hire Symone Sanders to discuss the battle in Florida between Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis. He had pushed to have decades-long tax breaks rescinded that the company had been receiving. Sanders was adamant that the legislature would buckle and not give in to the DeSantis push. She said loudly:

- "My money is on the Disney lobbyists, honey! Do you THINK those state legislatures down in Florida are going to bend to the will of the governor? No!"

Not 15 seconds later, Chuck Todd interrupts to say that the state legislature bent to the will of DeSantis and voted to strip Disney of the special favors.