Don’t let any national journalist tell you that they don’t want to be a part of the story. On Friday night into early Saturday morning, CNN eagerly turned around not one but two promos touting their coverage of the Minneapolis riots, including the disturbing and despicable arrest of correspondent Omar Jimenez and his crew less than 24 hours prior on New Day.
So, our New York and Washington-based journalists want to claim that they’re uncomfortable with the spotlight? Either that’s a total lie or they should have a word with their bosses about whether their dangerous work should translate into stardom and hero worship.
In one 15-second promo backed with grim music, it began with Jimenez being arrested and him calmly asking: “Do you mind telling me why I’m under arrest, sir?”
The screen briefly faded and up came Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) as the promo played two clips from his Friday morning press conference, which included a lengthy apology to CNN and network boss Jeff Zucker: “We have got to ensure that there’s a safe spot for journalism to tell the story. [SCREEN WIPE] Because it is a key component of how we fix this.”
The promo then ended with the CNN logo and one of their catchphrases, which was “go there” (instead of “Facts First”).
But as Chris “Fredo” Cuomo and Don Lemon told us on Friday night, “CNN is not being victimized” and “CNN is not the news here.”
How stupid does CNN think we are?
And how do they think that such shameless self-promotion helps to both calm and inform an angered American public following George Floyd’s murder? It’s safe to say we all know the answer.
The second promo was even more ridiculous. It began with a clip of mask-donning CNN national correspondent Sara Sidner in the middle of a crowd and reporting: “We’re seeing rocks being thrown and that being matched with tear gas.”
Three more news clips came in the form of former Jim Comey flack-turned-CNN correspondent Josh Campbell and correspondent Miguel Marquez sounding ominous, and then the clip from the first promo of Jimenez being arrested. And in between them? A smarmy instance about CNN’s toughness:
[ON-SCREEN GRAPHIC: When the facts matter]
CAMPBELL: This is a much different scene than what we saw last night.
MARQUEZ: As the tensions go up, it’s increasingly worrisome.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Whatever the challenge]
JIMENEZ [TO POLICE]: Do you mind telling me why I’m under arrest, sir?
[ON-SCREEN GRAPHIC: CNN go there]
“When the facts matter?” “Whatever the challenger?” Give me a break.
And in a third promo, CNN teased a special report set for Sunday night entitled I Can’t Breathe; Black Men Living and Dying in America. If there’s anything we’ve learned from Zuckerville, it’s that CNN special events make everything infinitely better.