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 Fox’s 2.3 rating.
A particularly poignant moment in CNN’s 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.”
CNN’s 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, "I’ve 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. Cooper’s well-shaded outrage – he stopped just short of editorializing – elicited the kind of anger that has been mostly missing from a toothless press.”
I feel the same way. All of cable news switched from "aftermath" coverage to "Blame Bush" coverage. In the past I've been angry and said I wouldn't watch but always went back. Right now I am so turned off by all of them that I literally can't stomach them. I'm only listening to a couple of radio programs that are getting the truth out.
Yesterday, while Fox kept re-running the same stories over and over, CNN was doing a live broadcast of the levee repair.
Interesting. I found myself watching a lot more CNN since Katrina. Among other things, I got fed up with Geraldo's grandstanding. He is pathetic.
The new fall line-up of shows is starting this week. America will shift to more important shows such as Geena Davis as Pres, the return of "Night Stalker", "Prison Break", and of course, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart". CNN ratings will be dropping back in the tank soon.
Hmm, Geraldo, or Aaron Brown? Greta Van Sustern without makeup or Larry King? So many many choices....
and the tabloid section that is growing and growing.
In other words, on their best day, CNN can't touch FoxNews. CNN is also carried in a lot more homes than Fox. So CNN has a major advantage in potential viewers to begin with. Yet they still lose to Fox. Leave it to the MSM to try and spin this ratings news as something positive for CNN. Can you imagine if a football team had a 10 point headstart and still lost by 10 instead of 20? That's all this is. CNN is still a LOSER!
AMEN
Oh, well, it was a nice run. Maybe a new reliable, balanced news source will come around to replace what Fox could have been. Or maybe we just need to rely on FR as a source of breaking news.
CNN did have some great coverage all weekend. They were also the first to report Rehnquist's death.
I must say, I thought Geraldo was going to blow a gasket on O'Reilly Friday night. I truly thought he was going to lose his mind.
Just look at Fox: sheesh!
The threw David Asman under the bus so they could bring in Bill Hemmer. Dayum!
O'Reilly and Sustern are unwatchable. Hannity's average intelligence seems to be leaking away.
If it weren't for Fox, we'd never have to hear from Bob Beckel or Susan Estrich or Ellis Hennican.
Shep Smith is an embarrassing drama queen.
And then of course, there's Whorealdo....in a class by himself.
It almost makes me yearn for the days of Lou Waters and Bella Shaw on CNN Newsday.
I was forced to endure CNN at CeCe's Pizza last night. I could see Anderson Cooper doing his best to slam Bush. He must have seen the ABC polls yesterday.
At least they didn't have Rita Cosby covering the hurricane FROM Aruba, as MSNBC did one night last week.
bttt
And here I thought Geraldo lost his mind in Al Capone's vault...
Until CNN started editorilizing based on rumours and their limited information, they really were the best source of news coming out of the disaster zone. FOX coverage was hideous.
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