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[WATCH] CNN Director Reveals the Awful Truth Behind CNN's COVID-19 Death Toll Counter: Capitalizing on “panic porn”, promoting fear in a way that bumps up ratings
PJ Media ^ | 04/14/2021 | Tyler O' Neill

Posted on 04/14/2021 8:39:33 PM PDT by SeekAndFind



CNN Technical Director Charlie Chester explains the logic behind his network’s COVID-19 death toll counter in a sting video Project Veritas released on Wednesday. CNN has capitalized on “panic porn” during the pandemic, promoting fear in a way that Chester said bumps up ratings.

“COVID? Gangbusters with ratings, right? Which is why we [CNN] constantly have the [COVID-19] death toll on the side, which I have a major problem with – with how we’re tallying how many people die every day,” Chester says in the video.

He explains a perverse incentive regarding the numbers. “Like, why isn’t it high enough, you know, today? Like, it would make our point better if it was higher. And I’m like, what am I f***ing rallying for? That’s a problem that we’re doing that.”

The director explains that CNN is capitalizing on fear. “It’s fear. Fear really drives numbers [when it comes to TV ratings] … Fear is the thing that keeps you tuned in.”

Chester says that he had gotten CNN to take the death toll counter down, but then the “bat phone” rang and CNN President Jeff Zucker demanded the network restore the death toll.

“The special red phone rings and this producer picks it up. You hear [murmurs], and every so often they put it on speaker and it’s the head of the network being like, ‘There’s nothing that you’re doing right now that makes me want to stick. Put the [COVID death toll] numbers back up, because that’s the most enticing thing that we had. So, put it back up.'”

Chester also confesses that CNN drives the narrative, asking leading questions in order to get people to say what the network wants them to say.

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cnn; covid19; deathtoll; panicporn; projectveritas

“Any reporter on CNN — what they’re actually doing is they’re telling the person what to say… It’s always like leading them in a direction before they even open their mouths,” he says. “The only people that we [CNN] will let on the air, for the most part, are people that have a proven track record of taking the bait.”

Chester also confesses that his network focuses on “doom and gloom.”

CLICK ABOVE LINK TO WATCH THE VIDEO CAPTURED BY PROJECT VERITAS
1 posted on 04/14/2021 8:39:33 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Wow, are our fellow citizens stupid or what? This mentality is beyond me.


2 posted on 04/14/2021 8:42:38 PM PDT by hoe_cake (A Descendant of the Signers of the Constitution. )
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To: SeekAndFind

Nobody cares!

Wait let’s call Liz F’n cheney!

It’s over people....we let the Dems slit our throats and steal the election...in broad daylight....and we didn’t even gurgle under the blade!


3 posted on 04/14/2021 8:43:00 PM PDT by pacificus
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To: SeekAndFind

The damage is done.

I hope they are very proud of how they helped take down a once great republic.


4 posted on 04/14/2021 8:43:06 PM PDT by cld51860 (Volo pro veritas)
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To: cld51860

RED STATE's BRANDON MORSE REPORTS THIS IN SOME DETAIL



Project Veritas CEO James O’Keefe attempted to confront Chester directly and it went about as well as you’d expect. As usual, this was all captured on video as well.

The video begins with O’Keefe walking into the diner where Chester and the Project Veritas informant were supposed to be having breakfast. The informant had already left the table, and O’Keefe took her spot, told Chester who he was, then dived into quoting some of Chester’s own words back to him.

Chester was surprised, to say the least, and told O’Keefe that he wasn’t interested in talking to him. Regardless, O’Keefe pressed on.

Chester attempted to interrupt as O’Keefe proceeded by suddenly making the excuse that he was within six feet of him without a mask on. Chester reached for his own mask at that time, but O’Keefe assured him that he could stand six feet away and still ask the questions if he’d like. Chester assured O’Keefe that he wouldn’t get anything out of him despite the fact that he already had through the undercover videos.

Nevertheless, O’Keefe still persisted.

Eventually, Chester got up from the table and made his way to the car, but O’Keefe followed him out, continuing to ask him questions. When O’Keefe directed the microphone toward Chester for an answer while he was in his car, Chester slammed the door on the microphone. Before long, Chester drove away.

“They never have the courage to say publicly what they say privately,” O’Keefe said as Chester made his escape.

“That’s courage right there. That’s courage,” he repeated.

As Chester drove away, O’Keefe reminded him that he could drive away but he couldn’t drive away from the truth.
5 posted on 04/14/2021 8:51:24 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: hoe_cake

bookmark


6 posted on 04/14/2021 9:23:28 PM PDT by GOP Poet (Super cool you can change your tag line EVERYTIME you post!! :D. (Small things make me happy))
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To: SeekAndFind

this story, along with the one about CNN fabricating stories about politicians in order to influence elections, is proof positive that CNN is no longer a news outlet but a gossip rag on the credibility level of the National Enquirer or any other of the malicious rags at the supermarket checkout lines meant to amuse the bored and life-less.


7 posted on 04/14/2021 9:34:40 PM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you... " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017) )
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To: SeekAndFind

8 posted on 04/14/2021 9:43:54 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true, I have no proof, but they're true !)
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To: hoe_cake
Wow, are our fellow citizens stupid or what? This mentality is beyond me.

Maybe. OTOH, CNN can barely muster 1.5 million viewers for their best rated hour of the day.

9 posted on 04/14/2021 10:10:23 PM PDT by TigersEye (Will the Younger Dryas Impact you? )
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To: TigersEye

One of the most interesting comments in the article.
_________________

““Any reporter on CNN — what they’re actually doing is they’re telling the person what to say… It’s always like leading them in a direction before they even open their mouths,” he says. “The only people that we [CNN] will let on the air, for the most part, are people that have a proven track record of taking the bait.”


10 posted on 04/14/2021 10:19:04 PM PDT by Irish Eyes
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To: Irish Eyes

Yes, I noticed that quote too.

Something to remember when you see a Republican on CNN.
They’ve already sized him or her up as a dupe.


11 posted on 04/14/2021 10:28:40 PM PDT by TigersEye (Will the Younger Dryas Impact you? )
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To: SeekAndFind

Must watch video at link...thanks


12 posted on 04/14/2021 10:30:27 PM PDT by Irish Eyes
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To: SeekAndFind

WHAT!? You’re trying to tell me that people who kill babies would lie? Oh, no! But, they “care about you”.


13 posted on 04/14/2021 10:32:01 PM PDT by The Right Edge (Staunch Trump Supporter AND PROUD to be!)
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To: hoe_cake

You LOST me at “fellow”. I share NO kinship with them. They aint my “fellow” anything.!


14 posted on 04/14/2021 10:44:41 PM PDT by The Right Edge (Staunch Trump Supporter AND PROUD to be!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Obviously... you are living in the present time as though “truth” means ANYTHING! bruce jenner now says he is a woman. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IS NOT TRUE. The “TRUTH” no longer matters... until the “ unraveling”. Quit playing along with insanity. Refuse it! It’s just that simple.


15 posted on 04/14/2021 10:58:22 PM PDT by The Right Edge (Staunch Trump Supporter AND PROUD to be!)
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To: nutmeg

.


16 posted on 04/14/2021 11:04:33 PM PDT by nutmeg (God bless you and thank you, Rush)
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To: SeekAndFind; bagster; null and void

[[WATCH] CNN Director Reveals the Awful Truth Behind CNN’s COVID-19 Death Toll Counter: Capitalizing on “panic porn”, promoting fear in a way that bumps up ratings]

HEY!!! Don’t tell their idiot viewers!!! They live for this stuff!!!

C’mon man! You know, the thing!


17 posted on 04/15/2021 1:11:01 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: SeekAndFind

CNN ratings are awful. Worse, they’re losing their captive airport audiences.


18 posted on 04/15/2021 5:08:47 AM PDT by DeplorablePaul (s)
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To: DeplorablePaul

RE: CNN ratings are awful. Worse, they’re losing their captive airport audiences.

Given that a network lives and dies on ratings and audiences, who are the deep pocketed folks who are maintaining this outfit without downsizing?


19 posted on 04/15/2021 7:02:17 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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