At Politico, Michael Calderone has some fun at the expense of CNN, which took the time to fact-check this week’s opening SNL skit chiding President Obama. “Perhaps it’s worth retroactively fact-checking if Gerald Ford actually fell down as many times as Chevy Chase did,” Calderone writes.
Point taken. Another striking thing about the CNN segment, though, was that the network felt the need to call on the editor of Politifact to do the fact-checking. That St. Pete Times project is an admirable undertaking, and has built a name for itself as an arbiter of truth. But does CNN not think it has enough authority, on its own, to fact-check a comedy skit?
Maybe CNN is admitting thatit can no longer discriminate between fact and opinion, or that it can only find facts that fit its preconceptions..
#1 Posted by Rob, CJR on Wed 7 Oct 2009 at 12:05 PM
Why is CNN working for the power of the State rather then pricking the folks in power?
And you wonder why people aren't buying the product?
And when is CJR going to hold Navasky accountable for using CJR's name in Nation magazines fundraising?
#2 Posted by JSF, CJR on Wed 7 Oct 2009 at 12:42 PM
So CNN never fact checked claims about WMD in the lead up to the war on Iraq but they'll fact check a skit on Saturday Night Live?
Want to talk about death of the news media? There you go.
#3 Posted by Heather, CJR on Mon 12 Oct 2009 at 11:10 AM