CNN Perplexed by Calm U.S. Public

FreeMarketProject.org ^ | March 20, 2006 | Ken Shepherd

[freemarket_kenshepherd]

“We’ve fanned the flames of fear about this stuff,” said CNN’s Jack Cafferty on March 18. He was talking about bird flu, and his admission just confirmed the Free Market Project’s ongoing analysis of media coverage.

The “In the Money” co-host’s comments came as the show’s panel looked at “Stock of the Week” Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN), which has seen a 20-percent loss in value recently from overseas bird flu scares. Co-host Jennifer Westhoven marveled at the American public’s apparent nonchalance about the H5N1 avian flu virus.

“I’m amazed that Americans at this point are really fairly unconcerned” about bird flu and mad cow disease, the Bryn Mawr alumna confessed, noting that a drop in foreign sales of Tyson chicken has depressed company stock.

While the National Chicken Council stresses that American poultry is safe to eat, the CNN anchors failed to remind viewers of that fact. Guest panelist Allen Wastler urged investors to wait until Tyson stock “pounds down a little bit more” before snatching up cheaper shares, “because people always eat meat.”

[Unkosified]

Dear CNN,
More and more people are learning not to listen to you. It's your own fault. Turn out the lights, the party's over.

CNN = Constant Nincompoop News

[cardinal4]

Second, every year we are inundated with doom-and-gloom predictions about the next 'killer' epidemic which never happens.

Yep. Remember Swine Flu?

[SkyPilot]

[MNlurker]

Considering that I am already supposed to be dead from SARS 4 years ago, I think I'll go with number 2.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Perhaps we're just waiting until we hear the news from a reliable source.

[76834]

Not one danged thing I can do about it so am not going to waste my time worrying.

BTW
You know you have bird flu when you get headaches, sniffles and:
Get a sudden uncontrollable urge to go out and poop on someone's windshield.

[TChris]

Dear CNN,

There's a fable named "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". Find it. Read it. Try to comprehend it.

Sincerely,
Most Americans

[CHICAGOFARMER]

“We’ve fanned the flames of fear about this stuff,” said CNN’s Jack Cafferty on March 18. He was talking about bird flu, and his admission just confirmed the Free Market Project’s ongoing analysis of media coverage.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Someone tell these genius types at MSM that they have lied so long no one will listen to their opinion.

[bonfire]

"Katrina was the tipping point, IMO. Now, nobody would believe them if they told us missles had been launched from offshore headed right for our houses."

My stomach hurts from laughing at your comment! I am picturing Little Lord Anderson making a mess in his pantaloons!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

“We’ve fanned the flames of fear about this stuff,” said CNN’s Jack Cafferty on March 18.

Jack Cafferty's biggest worry has always been "the 86-proof flu". Who would listen to this old sot...especially on the day after St. Patrick's Day?!

[peacebaby]

"“We’ve fanned the flames of fear about this stuff,”

What admission! He'll regret making this statement.

[Designer]

"Something has to kill you."

"We're probably all going to die of something." - Jocelyn Elders

[Designer]

“We’ve fanned the flames of fear about this stuff,” said CNN’s Jack Cafferty

"Now it seems we aren't even good at doing that."

Time to go buy that chicken farm, Jack.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

“I’m amazed that Americans at this point are really fairly unconcerned” about bird flu and mad cow disease, the Bryn Mawr alumna confessed,

[jcs2]

Unfortunately, CNN is still the most watched network.

Here's February's total audience numbers:

CNN: 58,063,000
FNC: 51,755,000
MSNBC: 51,557,000

Source - http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2006/02/28/cnn-touts-february-ratings-successes/#more-1790

Fox records higher hourly ratings because the average Fox viewer watches 4 times as long as the average CNN viewer, but CNN still beats Fox in total number of Americans tuning in over the course of the day.

[o_zarkman44]

CNN would rather report mass hysteria than calm, orderly preparation for a threat that may never amount to anything.
Except the expenditure of billions of dollars that could be better used elsewhere.

Of course, part of the calmness of the population could be because Americans once again have signed off on the government protection racket, forgetting Katrina and other government promises that cannot materialize.

[Steve_Seattle]

“We’ve fanned the flames of fear about this stuff,” said CNN’s Jack Cafferty on March 18."

What, I thought it was BUSH who was using fear as an excuse to destroy our civil liberties, wage perpetual war, shred the Constitution, and turn the USA into a fundamentalist Christian theocracy? The public probably isn't real worried about the bird flu epidemic because - to my knowledge - no one in the USA has died from it yet. But in the nine-ten months since I first started hearing about this flu, 30,000 Americans have died in car accidents.

[jimbo123]

Why are you quoting and linking to a CNN press release? I smell a troll.

[jimbo123]

jcs2
Since Mar 19, 2006

[Fruitbat]

Could it be that no one watches CNN anymore?

Not if you're CNN. LOL