the kicker

Breaking: Be Not Afraid, Be Not Very Afraid

Usually when something doesn’t happen or something isn’t expected to happen, it’s not news. Even if the government issues a bulletin to tell us about the...
July 1, 2008

Usually when something doesn’t happen or something isn’t expected to happen, it’s not news. Even if the government issues a bulletin to tell us about the absence of this thing. But I guess that’s pre-9/11 journalism.

CNN has been reporting this morning: “NO JULY 4TH THREATS” — that is, that a”Department of Homeland Security and FBI bulletin says there are no credible terror threats for Friday’s July 4th holiday.” Still, for cable news viewers, the threat of exposure to excessive holiday travel delay reporting (this woman is tired of standing in this line at this airport) remains high. Which could explain that vaguely threatening feeling CNN viewers might be experiencing, government bulletin or no. Or maybe it was the story that followed CNN’s Nothing To Fear report: “TALKING TERROR: McCain Camp Raises Specter of Attack.”

Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.