From MEDIA MATTERS OF AMERICA:
CNN’s decision to hire and pay full-time Trump apologists — supporters who are willing to go on air and defend Trump’s missteps — has resulted in some of the most explosive and viral news segments of the election. But it’s also turned CNN’s election coverage into a series of ridiculous, uninformative screaming matches that mainstream bullshit in the name of “balance.”
Original comic book cover
Over the course of the 2016 election, CNN hired four Trump supporters — Kayleigh McEnany, Scottie Nell Hughes, Jeffrey Lord, and Corey Lewandowski — to act as full-time Trump surrogates and defend their candidate on-air. CNN has defended its hirings by suggesting that surrogates like Lewandowski are needed to provide “balance,” especially after several of CNN’s traditional Republican commentators expressed their opposition to the GOP presidential nominee.
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By the end of most segments, everyone else on the panel is yelling, in shock, or has been flustered to the point of giving up.
This isn’t entirely the fault of the professional Trump surrogates. CNN pays them to be Trump apologists; their jobs depend on them defending their candidate regardless of how ridiculous it makes them sound. In other words, the network incentivizes them to be intractable.
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And it all makes for highly entertaining reality television.
But for a news network, these segments are a disaster.
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If CNN wants to feature pro-Trump voices in its election coverage, it can rely on guests who actually work for the campaign. But rewarding professional bullshit artists like Hughes, McEnany, Lord, and Lewandowski with CNN salaries and job titles sets a dangerous precedent for a news network: a move toward “balance” even when it comes at the cost of reasonable, useful coverage.
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And who is driving this shit fire brigade? From DEADLINE:
CNN Worldwide chief Jeff Zucker takes credit for catapulting Donald Trump to TV stardom, but not for making him the Republican nominee to become this country’s president.
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“I have had a unique relationship with Donald Trump. I’m the one who put him andThe Apprentice on the air at NBC,” Zucker said today, appearing at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum.
“I’ve known who he is and what he is for a long time.”
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Zucker’s longstanding relationship with the real estate developer turned reality TV star helped him realize much earlier than did some of his news competitors what a good shot at success Trump had in politics. But he insisted CNN with its whole-hog approach to covering the candidate is not responsible for his GOP nomination.
That said, Zucker acknowledged the cable news network might have gone slightly overboard with its telecasts of Trump rallies in their entirety, in the early days of the race. In the network’s defense, Zucker noted you never knew what Trump was going to say, and the coverage brought good ratings, indicating viewer interest.
And, no, Katrina Pierson is not on CNN’s payroll, but how could I possibly leave her out?
HYSTERICAL RAISINS 
The wheels are coming off.
I am embear assed . These Heathers are making women equal idiots.
I never realized before that Heathers was an abbreviation for Head Case Birthers. It’s all clear now! 😉
another masterpiece!
Thanks Loony!
I love doing the comic book covers. They’re so much fun.
Seriously!
The “balance” myth is far worse than the flaws with objectivity. Competent reporters can talk fairly. Having two people with strong opinions is not the same. And hiring fact-denying apologists is just plain disgusting.
That this has to be said is really horrible. “Breaking news,” indeed.
It’s not just CNN. Ken. MSNBC is almost as ridiculous. I’m watching now. Chris Jansing is in Georgia, and Kristen Welker is anchoring. Welker was talking about how the vote in Georgia is not a slamdunk for the Rethugs. So, she goes to Jansing who goes on to interview 2 men who are early voting for Sniffy McSniffypants. One talked about how the main street media is biased toward Hillary, and the other imbecile went on and on about how the vote is rigged, offering no evidence whatsoever. Then Welker comes back to thank Jansing for the fascinating conversation. I don’t even want to know what Faux news is doing. Very sad state of affairs when it comes to the media. It’s all about ratings, and truth goes down the toilet. Many in the print media are no better.
There is a special place in hell for these guys and their enablers.
Yes, it’s called CNN. 😉
Wait wait wait. They’re hiring people to represent the Trump campaign? Since when did that become a norm? I can see giving airtime to representatives employed by the campaign to defend their candidate, but actually hiring Trumpanzees at the network’s own expense? This is absurd, surely.
Love the cat with its little sign. Trump is never going to live down that line.
Corey Lewandowski is contractually not allowed to say anything disparaging about Sniffy McSniffypants. He signed an agreement when he went to work for Sniffy. He continues to be paid by the Sniffy campaign, even as he is paid by CNN. I don’t now what explanation Jeff Zucker can possibly give that makes this double-payment ethical, especially when the guy can’t say anything that is not approved by Sniffy. As for the others. they are just mindless idiots who get a memo every morning from Sniffy headquarters telling them what they should say.