While it’s definitely not surprising to see that CNN has a left-wing bias — that’s been obvious for decades — Project Veritas’ video series exposing the inner workings of the network offers a glimpse into how editorial decisions are made and who benefits from those choices.
And Part 2 of the full video series shows that it is sometimes Democrats who face the consequences of CNN’s editorial decisions.
At least in the current Democrat primary, the network seems to pushing certain candidates — Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Bernie Sanders — and deciding that others only deserve second-tier status. By concentrating election coverage on just a few candidates, the network is attempting — and maybe succeeding if you look at poll numbers — to keep its viewers focused only on what it considers serious candidates.
When asked by Cary Poarch, a contract satellite upload technician who wore a hidden camera in CNN’s Washington Bureau for several months, if the network was being unfair to any of the candidates, media coordinator Christian Sierra said, “Um…I think probably [Andrew] Yang and [Amy] Klobuchar. One of the lesser ones. Just cause they’re going to talk about Biden more, Warren and Sanders. They’re not going to mention the others.”
The preferential treatment doesn’t mean only that Joe Biden gets more coverage; he also gets certain other help as well. A comment from Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez spells that out.
“Now, I’ll tell you this. Joe Biden has a problem. Because his son was trading in his name. It looks bad. It smells bad. It’s not illegal. There’s nothing illegal about it…. How do you go and say that Donald Trump is the person? Get him out of here and convict him, when your son is doing the same s**t?”
Not only is the network hiding the Biden corruption scandal in favor of their impeachment narrative, they seem to be hiding other things as well — mainly, Biden himself.
During a candid moment as CNN staffers sit at a table in a restaurant, an exchange took place comparing their coverage of Trump rallies to those of Biden or Warren:
CNN Staffer Christian Sierra: “Why don’t we show a Biden rally or a Warren rally in full though?”
The group at the table concludes that the decision is based on ratings. A Trump rally draws viewers in. Rallies featuring Biden and Warren do not.
CNN Staffer Nick Neville: “They probably think it’s boring. I mean, Biden rallies are like, ugh…people would change the channel.”
And it’s true enough — a Biden or Warren rally would not be as interesting as a Trump rally in any way, shape, or form. But Neville also states, “Biden’s rallies, he’s like, ‘it’s great to be in New Hampshire.’ Joe, you’re in like North Dakota. You’re like, not in New Hampshire.”
So, a Biden, Warren, or Sanders speech must be cut up in order to make the candidate look presidential. For Trump, the opposite is true. Showing every single moment of a Trump speech gives the anchors and pundits of the network more opportunities to mock the president or act offended at something he said.
Also, in Biden’s case, the gaffes which he’s certain to make can be left on the cutting room floor.
While the hidden camera, off-the-cuff remarks of his co-workers are interesting, they also give the viewer an unsettled feeling. It’s as if you’re invading someone’s privacy, which is a criticism of many of O’Keefe’s videos.
But the recordings of the 9:00 a.m. editorial calls, which include CNN President Jeff Zucker and top decision makers in the newsroom, are gold. Those segments give a window into what the top brass at the network consider important and can be very revealing.
In one of those calls, Zucker suggested that a frivolous tweet by candidate Kamala Harris be taken seriously, even though he acknowledged that it was not serious.
Zucker: “I also think we should be doing a segment somewhere on what Kamala Harris raised last night … and others are talking about. It’s not gonna happen, but it’s a good segment in the show, ‘should Trump’s Twitter account be suspended?’”
Zucker later reiterated, “Not gonna happen, but it’s a good talk, it’s a good segment.”
Thus far, CNN is downplaying any effect that the Project Veritas videos may be having on their already-tepid ratings. But O’Keefe does have one high-level fan of his work. President Trump tweeted on Monday, “Project Veritas-Obtained Undercover Videos Highlight Jeff Zucker’s Campaign to Destroy Trump. Videos Reveal CNN’s bias.”
Despite their confirmation of what we all knew all along — that CNN is not truly a news source but a propaganda outlet — the Project Veritas videos are troubling because of the seemingly low level of the staffers who are being recorded in candid moments. It would be different if Anderson Cooper or Don Lemon were the sacrificial lambs which Project Veritas were revealing. Thus far — and there appear to be many more videos to come — it seems as if simple working stiffs are the ones being outed. And that’s a little disturbing.
Image: screenshot from YouTube video
