Posted on 09/06/2005 10:20:00 AM PDT by sydbas
CNN made significant ratings gains on Fox News during the networks coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
From a rating of 0.5 before the hurricane, CNN rose to a 2.0 although it still lagged behind Foxs 2.3 rating.
A particularly poignant moment in CNNs coverage came on the Monday night following landfall, when veteran reporter Jeanne Meserve was interviewed by Aaron Brown after she had gone out into the flooded streets of New Orleans with rescuers. Meserve broke down in tears as she described hearing "people yelling for help and no one can get to them.
Said Brown: "Jeanne Meserve has been on the team for almost 15 years, I think. She is a very tough, capable, strong reporter, and she met her match on a story tonight.
CNNs Anderson Cooper also left an impression on viewers when, during an interview with Sen. Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, he seemingly lost his temper and told her, "Ive been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry and very frustrated.
The New York Times reported: "Mr. Coopers well-shaded outrage he stopped just short of editorializing elicited the kind of anger that has been mostly missing from a toothless press.
And fire Geraldo while your at it ... and Shep, too ...
Fox couldn't shift all its resources away from Aruba in time, obviously.
You're right. I blocked Fox after Shep and Geraldo's disgusting race and riot bating. Who knows what Ailes is thinking but I hope they lose market share for this.
Thats because Fox kept showing re-runs of tapes and the video phones instead of real cameras, CNN had constant live coverge and few video phones during the coverage.
Fox's hurricane coverage was so poor that I half-expected to see 30 mins. of Greta in Aruba as the storm hit.
I was a faithful watcher of Fox and loather of CNN but now I loathe Fox too except for Britt. I have no TV news outlet.
Geraldo, "The Fake", and Greta, "Clutch Cargo", calls for an instant channel change.
But, FNC renewed their contracts. Go figure.
I did notice CNN hired a man-of-color to report from New Orleans.
Shep Smith and Jerry Rivers did good.
CNN is just better at breaking news than is Fox. Once they identify the political angle, however, CNN must be shut off.
I see this as an indicator that CNN lacks loyal viewers. The ignorant populous that never watches any news on a daily basis, turned on the only name they knew for hurricane coverage. CNN is the name that's been around twice as long as Fox News. CNN's numbers came from soap operas and other garbage that normally is viewed by the ignorant populous.
But what are FNC's ratings?
Fox sucks. Whorealdo is only the tip of the iceberg.
...and Joe "B.O." Scarbourough over at MSNBC
What struck me is what a small slice of the pie they're fighting over. 2 and 2.3 shares respectively. Throw in MSNBC's miniscule audicence, and something like 5-6% of the public at most is watching cable news during the biggest natural disaster in at least a hundred years.
"something like 5-6% of the public at most is watching cable news during the biggest natural disaster in at least a hundred years."
And far less than that is reading this thread!
One word: Geraldo
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