According to Denver radio host Mandy Connell, CNN needs to make significant changes to regain its reputation as a news-focused network. Connell referenced a Barrett News Media article written as an open letter to Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
During the Gulf War conflict between Iraq and a coalition led by the United States in 1990-1991, CNN received widespread recognition for their real-time reporting from the frontlines of the war. This coverage, known as the “CNN effect,” brought the war events directly into people’s homes and solidified CNN’s reputation as a leading news network. Connell reminded her listeners that the entire world watched CNN’s coverage, making it a historic moment in news reporting.
“When you went to CNN, you were going to get the news,” she said on her KOA Radio show. “You were going to get straightforward, here’s the news, we are going to deliver It. When Fox News rose to ascendency, all of a sudden, CNN started to retreat to the left.”
CNN CEO Chris Licht scolded CNN media critic Oliver Darcey for his negative review of the network’s town hall with former President Donald Trump. Kaitlin Collins moderated the event, and Darcey had voiced his criticism of it. Under Licht’s leadership, CNN has undergone significant changes, including the dismissal of Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon, and Brian Stelter.
Shortly after CNN began to shift back towards a more liberal perspective, Connell noted that Fox News capitalized on this change and promptly seized the opportunity.
“People were hungry on the right for the kind of opinion and commentary that confirmed their views,” she said. “Now, everybody is sick of it; everybody wants to know who they can trust to give them the news. Tell me what happened, and let me decide how I feel about it.”
