Okay CNN, Here’s the Constructive Criticism You Asked For

In his daily emails and a series of tweets, CNN media critic Brian Stelter has cast conservative critics of the mainstream media as “anti-journalism.” He has said that your criticism of his network is not “constructive” but filled with “hate.” Okay Brian, here is some constructive criticism.

In Tuesday’s edition of his “Reliable Sources” email, Stelter writes, “They [conservative MSM critics] claim that most, if not all, journalists have sinister agendas… that newsrooms are occupied by “enemies of the people…” and that the evil “MSM” is propaganda. These anti-J people claim that reporters routinely cover up good news and invent bad news.”

Let’s “constructively” look at those claims which Stelter obviously thinks are overblown.

First up: propaganda. You only have to look to this week to see the CNN propaganda machine in full force.

On Wednesday, CNN spent nearly five minutes over two segments focusing on what was clearly a handful of “protesters” in the offices of Sen. Marco Rubio, R. Fla. Not only that, some of the protesters clearly had professionally printed signs. Five to ten people entering the office of a senator to voice their displeasure is not news. It is propaganda that tries to show there is this groundswell to “leave Medicaid alone.” Agitprop is not news, it is propaganda.

By now you’ve heard about CNN using Sesame Street’s Elmo to indoctrinate kids and attack President Trump over refugees. While the use of Elmo is troubling, the words the adults told Elmo are worse, and borderline non-factual.

One of Elmo’s colleagues on the panel – there’s a statement I never thought I’d write – David Miliband told Elmo, “It’s worth saying, perhaps especially today, that this country, the US, receives very few refugees and there’s a lot of fear and loathing being put out.”

That is simply factually incorrect. On a yearly basis the United States routinely admits the most immigrants of any country. Yes, Donald Trump is looking to reduce the number of refugees to a 50,000 per year cap from 110,000, but so far in fiscal year 2017, the number of refugees admitted, according to the New York Times, is over 45,000 and is on pace to end the year at 70,000. This is not “very few.” It is more #FakeNews.

Back in August of 2016, CNN selectively edited footage of the sister of an armed man killed by a cop in Milwaukee. The woman called on rioters to take their looting and destruction to the suburbs, instead of destroying their own neighborhood. CNN selectively edited it to imply that she was calling for an end to the violence being done all together. Watch here:

That is proof of CNN doing exactly what Stelter claims they do not. When caught, CNN issued an apology. Note this is another apology issued AFTER being caught.

These are just a few examples, out of hundreds, if not thousands, of CNN using their platform to push an agenda, not merely report the news. If Brian Stelter is interested in constructive criticism there it is.

They say the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one. While Stelter has admitted that CNN sometimes royally screws up, he refused to admit there is a pervasive bias at the network. He then goes on to attack those who highlight that bias as being “anti-journalism.” In fact it is quite the opposite, we are holding you to the standard that you yourself profess to adhere to. (For more from the author of “Okay CNN, Here’s the Constructive Criticism You Asked For” please click HERE)

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