CNN.COM MAKES PUBLIC PREMATURE OBITS OF REAGAN, CHENEY, BOB HOPE, CASTRO

The Smoking Gun ^ | 4/16/03 | The Smoking Gun (via Drudge)

[hadrian]

APRIL 16--While all news organizations prepare obituaries in advance of the deaths of famous individuals, the folks at CNN inadvertently gave the Internet-surfing public a chance to preview how the network's web site would note the demise of Vice President Dick Cheney, Ronald Reagan, and a few other prominent figures. Until earlier this afternoon, a CNN server housed mock-ups of web pages announcing the yet-to-happen deaths. The CNN pages, which were discovered by the intrepid folks at fark.com, were yanked about 20 minutes after being exposed (though TSG was able to grab a few of the pages for posterity's sake). The premature obituaries, which were housed in a publicly accessible area of the CNN server, were apparently the work of Peter Rentz, a senior multimedia designer at CNN. The mock-ups are virtually identical to the obituary design currently used by CNN when a notable person dies (click here to see how CNN covered the Queen Mother's death). In fact, elements of the Queen Mum's obit template can be seen in the below Cheney design. In addition to Cheney and Reagan, CNN has also prepped online farewells to Fidel Castro, Bob Hope, and Nelson Mandela. (4 pages)

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[battlegearboat]

CNN R.I.P.

[snippy_about_it]

Yeah, but do they have their own prepared?

[hadrian]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/art2/cnnobit1.jpg

[yonif]

Wow.

[yonif]

Is this true?

[alisasny]

It is commen to have obituaries of the famous ready to run in advance.

[amused]

LOL...Castro had to share time with Reagan.

[hadrian]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/cnnobit1.html

[NautiNurse]

eerie that the deaths were all prepared in 2001. I wonder whether he did them before or after 9-11.

[yonif]

eerie that the deaths were all prepared in 2001. I wonder whether he did them before or after 9-11.

Just what I was thinking.

[Lazamataz]

It is commen to have obituaries of the famous ready to run in advance.

It is uncommon to make them public, and it is also uncommon for them to be mostly of right-of-center politicians.

Sounds more like CNN's wish-list than anything else....

[Tall_Texan]

Better to have these done in advance. I'm still fuming at Howard Kurtz for calling fellow Washington Times columnist Michael Kelly "caustic" in their obit.

Somehow, I bet when James Carville kick the bucket, nobody at the Post will call him "caustic".

[Reagan Man]

>>>... the folks at CNN inadvertently gave the Internet-surfing public a chance to preview how the network's web site would note the demise of Vice President Dick Cheney, Ronald Reagan, and a few other prominent figures.

"[I]nadvertently" my arse!

CNN isn't only a mouthpiece for the American left, it's a mouthpiece for the worlds perpetual losers club. Those that proudly call themselves, anti-American and USA haters. Bunch of shameless bastards.

[shadowman99]

Interesting how they wish to romanticize Castro. They even have a Reagan quote temporarily placed on his page that softens his image.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

To be fair, they also did Mandela and Castro, and I think few people at CNN are hopefully anticipating the death of Fidel Castro.

[SamAdams76]

Looks like that Castro obituary needs to be reworked. Looks like they snuck a paragraph from Reagan's obit in there by mistake.

As for Bob Hope, I think the obituary for him was in the can before I was even born. That guy has nine lives!

[Lazamataz]

My bet? Dick Cheney outlives Bill Clinton

I see your bet and raise you an earnest hope.

[amused]

As for Bob Hope, I think the obituary for him was in the can before I was even born. That guy has nine lives!

[chuckle]