Posted on 08/17/2005 2:15:45 PM PDT by sremoj
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Brian Burch August 17, 2005 734-358-3433 bburch@Fidelis.org
CNN Calls Fidelis Campaign “Unusually Disruptive” Source inside CNN tips off Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WASHINGTON — Fidelis, a national Catholic-based advocacy group, was criticized by CNN over their launch of a public education campaign through a grassroots effort called CNNbias.org, which encouraged the public to personally contact CNN executives and protest their decision to run the NARAL ad attacking Judge John Roberts. A staffer within the CNN headquarters tipped-off the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the effect it was having on their operations, calling it “unusually disruptive.”
Joseph Cella, President of Fidelis, said: “Given CNN’s arrogant response, it is clear how liberal and out of touch they are with the concerns of every day Americans, who took the time to individually express their opinion about CNN’s biased advertising policies.”
Late yesterday, amidst the ongoing controversy, the CNN Public Relations Division contacted Fidelis, justified airing the NARAL ad and issued a copy of their policy governing advocacy advertising which they claim dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, claiming CNN “…accepts advocacy advertising from responsible groups from across the political spectrum who wish to express their views and their opinions about issues of public importance…advertisements will be…fact checked and debated.”
Cella said: “We are troubled by the willingness on the part of CNN to run the NARAL ad that was false and misleading, contrary to their policies on fact-checking that they just released. CNN did exactly zero fact-checking of the NARAL ad. The public should be very concerned about CNN’s reporting and advertising standards.”
CNN agreed to accept the NARAL attack ad on Judge Roberts, yet has refused to air a pro-life ad featuring international humanitarian Mother Teresa. In 1998, CNN rejected an ad produced by Right to Life of Michigan featuring a touching interview with Mother Teresa filmed just before her death. At the time, the cable network cited its policy prohibiting issue advertisements.
Cella commented: “People who expect fairness want to be heard. Airing the NARAL ad was a big mistake on CNN’s part, particularly since the non-partisan Annenburg Foundation’s Factcheck.org website, called it false and even NARAL themselves pulled it down. But CNN just sat back and let the false ad run. Because CNN can’t admit its mistake, people are left wondering if this bias will return.”
Questions continue to surround whether CNN founder Ted Turner influenced the network to override their advertising policy, allowing the NARAL ad to be aired. “The fact that Turner recently contributed $1.4 million to NARAL should raise red flags, especially in light of the questions surrounding what motivated CNN to air the ad,” Cella added.
“CNN has been scrambling to minimize the fallout from their decision to air the NARAL ad, but they are only generating more questions about their advertising policy and associated decision-making process,” Cella stated.
CNN chief overrun with e-mails opposing Roberts ad
> By SCOTT LEITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution > Published on: 08/17/05 CNN's Jim Walton got the message people were upset with the network's airing of an ad that targeted Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. More than 10,000 messages, actually. A pro-life group that didn't like an ad created by NARAL Pro-Choice America marshaled a mass e-mail campaign that hit Walton's inbox over the weekend. In a note Monday to fellow executives, Walton, the network's president, said the phone would be the only way to reach him for a while, given that his e-mail was temporarily clogged. The campaign focused on a controversial ad that attacked Roberts. CNN and others are often hit by such orchestrated efforts, but CNN spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said that most e-mails go to a general inbox, not an individual executive, and the numbers are usually lower. The e-mail campaign is a reminder that the Web is a key factor in modern lobbying of big organizations, especially on hot-button political issues. The NARAL ad was blasted by critics for claiming Roberts sided with violent anti-abortion activists. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who supports abortion rights, was one those who called the ad unfair. NARAL pulled the ad late Thursday because of such complaints, but that didn't stop Fidelis, a Chelsea, Mich., Catholic organization that opposes abortion, from going after CNN. Fidelis used a Web site called CNNbias.org to solicit e-mails. Fidelis President Joseph Cella said the group deliberately targeted Walton. "We feel that the day-to-day decision-makers need to hear directly from the public," he said Tuesday. But Goldberg said CNN doesn't pay attention to mass campaigns. "We welcome individual feedback," she said. "When a message is clearly mass produced, that counts as one e-mail." For the record, CNN also ran a pro-Roberts ad from Progress for America that countered the NARAL spot. Fox News Channel wasn't asked to run NARAL's ad, spokeswoman Irena Briganti said.
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/0805/17bizcnn.html
I'm troubled.
Fidelis *just now* figured out that CNN was biased?
What planet have THEY been vacationing on?
Kinda like shooting fish in a barrel, eh?
"But Goldberg said CNN doesn't pay attention to mass campaigns. "We welcome individual feedback," she said. "When a message is clearly mass produced, that counts as one e-mail."
So out of touch and clueless. Count them as one email all you want. In the real world, where the rest of us live, these count as thousands of lost viewers. CNN's slide into ratings oblivion continues...
Well, perhaps they will pay attention to phone calls.
Action item #2 on http://www.cnnbias.org is as follows:
Call Jim Walton, President of CNN Newsgroup personally in his office at 404-878-1720 and ask him to publicly explain why CNN violated their advocacy advertising policy through airing the NARAL ad. Also ask him to publicly answer if CNN founder Ted Turner used his influence to have the NARAL ad aired, overruling their advertising policy. If he isn’t available, just leave Mr. Walton a personal message.
Their real danger lies in the fact that they are the face of America in their overseas broadcasts.
Thanks, looks like I need to make a call!!
"Their real danger lies in the fact that they are the face of America in their overseas broadcasts."
Maybe not on this specific issue, but a point well-taken. I wonder if any good FReepers out there know how large an overseas audience CNN has? I caught a CNN-International broadcast some time ago and was appalled at how two-faced it was when compared to their domestic slop - and that's saying a lot!
CNN is nothing more that the propaganda wing of the NEW DNC..
The DNC that seeks to destroy America....
I just haven't figured out what the hell the think they'll gain from the effort...
Semper Fi
CNN chief overrun with e-mails opposing Roberts ad
By SCOTT LEITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/17/05
CNN's Jim Walton got the message people were upset with the network's airing of an ad that targeted Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. More than 10,000 messages, actually.
A pro-life group that didn't like an ad created by NARAL Pro-Choice America marshaled a mass e-mail campaign that hit Walton's inbox over the weekend. In a note Monday to fellow executives, Walton, the network's president, said the phone would be the only way to reach him for a while, given that his e-mail was temporarily clogged.
The campaign focused on a controversial ad that attacked Roberts. CNN and others are often hit by such orchestrated efforts, but CNN spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said that most e-mails go to a general inbox, not an individual executive, and the numbers are usually lower.
The e-mail campaign is a reminder that the Web is a key factor in modern lobbying of big organizations, especially on hot-button political issues. The NARAL ad was blasted by critics for claiming Roberts sided with violent anti-abortion activists. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who supports abortion rights, was one those who called the ad unfair.
NARAL pulled the ad late Thursday because of such complaints, but that didn't stop Fidelis, a Chelsea, Mich., Catholic organization that opposes abortion, from going after CNN. Fidelis used a Web site called CNNbias.org to solicit e-mails.
Fidelis President Joseph Cella said the group deliberately targeted Walton. "We feel that the day-to-day decision-makers need to hear directly from the public," he said Tuesday.
But Goldberg said CNN doesn't pay attention to mass campaigns. "We welcome individual feedback," she said. "When a message is clearly mass produced, that counts as one e-mail."
For the record, CNN also ran a pro-Roberts ad from Progress for America that countered the NARAL spot.
Fox News Channel wasn't asked to run NARAL's ad, spokeswoman Irena Briganti said.
CNN is HUGE overseas.
Thats because Fox isn't there yet ;-)
Their broadcasts are quite different from what we get. Anti-American in the extreme.
Which is why it is so popular overseas.
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