Breaking News Syndrome At CNN

This past week, CNN has really given all of journalism and the media in general a bad name. That's my view at least. The news network has done it with its 24/7 reporting of breaking news about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370. Even when there has been nothing to report, CNN has used the banner indicating Breaking News. In the process, they are trying to fool viewers. It's the classic crying wolf scenario. At a certain point viewers catch on and realize there really isn't any breaking news or worse yet, finding nothing in the vast Indian Ocean has become breaking news.

Chuck Todd from MSNBC has recently criticized CNN for their tactic as has Frank Sesno who worked as a producer at CNN for many years, Sesno's critique was on CNN itself. Bill Maher, love him or hate him, has raised an even broader concern about CNN's coverage of the missing plane referring to some of the coverage as 'disaster porn'. He points out that photos and footage of a distraught relative of a missing passenger is reduced to offensive and pretty much useless information. Many will debate the fine line between information sharing and free speech but Maher has a valid point.

I would argue that all of the cable news networks have fallen into the same trap around this story but some realized it sooner than others. For whatever reason, CNN just keeps on going. Worse yet, much of it is really bad reporting. Examples are anchors generalizing and speculating on issues over and over, even while so called experts that they've brought in, caution viewers about speculations. How many times and ways can you ask why pilots are able to turn transponders on and off?

So I hope CNN can try to get its act together soon and begin to realize two things. There is other news going on around the world and crying wolf does have its consequences.