Lots and lots and LOTS of News Alerts.
Posted on 04/30/2005 6:09:09 AM PDT by Pokey78
During Jon Klein's weekly airborne commute Thursday from New York to Atlanta, one of his prized employees announced her impending departure from CNN.
Klein was aware of Judy Woodruff's plans, but her decision to go public brought home the fact that the cable news network, where he serves as U.S. president, is undergoing a sea change.
Yet it's not programs or on-air personnel that Klein fixated on throughout an interview Friday. (For the record: "Inside Politics," the afternoon show anchored by Woodruff, will be re-evaluated as Klein considers alternative ways to cover doings in D.C.)
It's how CNN presents the news.
"Dramatically different, certainly in our prime-time approach," contends Klein, 47, who has done the New York-Atlanta shuttle — here one day, gone the next — most weeks since stepping into the revolving-door job in December.
"When I got here, we were doing just straight newscasts with two-minute-long pieces. The problem with that approach is by [midevening], the public already knows what happened. You've got to go beyond the headlines.
"That's what Fox [News] has been doing — discussing stories that you're already familiar with. Now we've started doing stories in our way, not just by talking about them but reporting them in greater depth."
And, with un-CNN-like techniques. One reporter, in a story on a device that shocks the body with an electrical charge, strapped on the belt and absorbed a few thousand volts.
Another, following up on the drowning of a prop plane pilot, donned a survival suit and, accompanied by the Coast Guard, flopped into the lake — where he delivered his report.
"There is a big difference between that and a clown," Klein says. "Reporters must be less stiff, less imperious, less above-it-all, less condescending. More involved and passionate in the stories they do."
Klein's gospel: Pounce on a story and explore it from every angle.
"We do a better job of identifying what the most important stories are and throwing more resources at them," he says, citing Terri Schiavo and the Atlanta courthouse shootings as examples. "No one can compete with us when we do that. We saw that in the tsunami, the pope. We want to keep hammering away, smothering a story. That's how we put our resources to use instead of spreading ourselves thinly over a variety of stories, many of which are inconsequential."
Klein acknowledges that Nielsen ratings do not reflect what he considers upgraded news treatment.
While CNN has celebrated scattered head-to-head victories on given nights, it still trails Fox News substantially in the big picture. Since Klein's hiring, his rival has widened its lead.
"We're winning the quality war already, not the ratings war," he says. "About a year from now, we should be able to establish consistent ratings growth."
Klein maintains that his philosophy is easier to sell to a staff competing against white-hot Fox News. Resistance to change has been "far less" than he braced for.
"We've been getting our clocks cleaned the last few years by Fox," he says. "If we were No. 1, we'd be a lot more conservative in how we embrace ... the new modes of connecting to viewers.
"These are smart professionals here who are tired of being in second place. They want to be No. 1 in the hearts and minds of viewers — as well as in the Nielsen books."
First, he says, the makeover on relaying the news must be completed.
"It's not consistently where I want it to be. Probably 50 percent. On any given night, half of what we do is right on target, the other half is what we need to work on."
Lots and lots and LOTS of News Alerts.
How about reporting the TRUTH for once and not just how George Bush is the reason for every ill from African poverty to the Tsunamis.
CNN wants to be a FOX clone? The dumb libs will cry. LoL!
Maybe they'll revamp CNN International, aka BBC lite. When I'm overseas it is sometimes the only news source available but it's painful to watch. If you think the CNN shown in the US has an anti US tilt you ain't seen nuthin' til you see the International version. It's so bad that the sports covers every soccer match and cricket score but doesn't even cover baseball or football. It's pathetic.
Fox scooped CNN, big time, in their hometown, on the takedown of the courthouse killer. Geraldo was there, on the spot. Whatever else you say about him, he is a great on-the-scene, breaking-action field reporter.
I'm overseas and CNN Int can make me puke.
You got that right. I watched a video feed passing through a satellite facility in the ME get spun 180 degrees by CNN Int'l. later that night. These people aren't only incompetent, they're downright criminal in their reporting.
Yeah, I know. I saw it every day when I was in Germany earlier this year. Not only was the news and lack of sports bad, they had anchors with the screechiest voices ever. Terrible.
CNN is best when watched with the TV OFF!
I recommend that CNN clone F&F weekend edition as an important first step in establishing credibility with the viewing nation. Better yet, hire the F&F weekend cast away from Fox, please.
"Is the Republican party held hostage by religious extremists? And, will voters punish President Bush for his ties to right wing churches that are considered intolerant by much of the electorate?"
Right on assessment!!!
I tell my German friends and coworkers that if all I knew about America was what I saw on CNNI I would never want to go there. With that said, I tell them about the USA that I lived in for decades. I then watch the gears turning as they realize someone (me or CNNI) is lying! I wonder who?
BTW, whenever one of them goes to America on business or vacation they come back with an entirely different viewpoint than the press (US and European) has pumped into their head of mush all their life.
Doesn't explain why Shepard Smith's show beats CNN. Shep doesn't even give 1 minute to one story.
CNN will never go "in-depth" because the risk is too high that the truth would start to show through.
AJC article attempting to save the left of CNN.
CNN could only survive if they had FIRED every single person there and just hired conservative reporters with conservatives behind the producer desks.
CNN "news" is an oxymoron.
Actually (donning flame proof coveralls) I think CNN still handles breaking news better than just about anyone.
That said, breaking news is for the most part nuts and bolts reporting and hasn't had the proper liberal spin applied yet. Once the editorialists get into the act and start the spin cycle CNN is worthless.
Amen. CNN has made a career of trashing the U.S.A. in their CNN International programming. Most Americans aren't aware of it though.
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