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CNN Hires Eliot Spitzer: Accused of Being Criminal News Network
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by NowPublic Staff | June 24, 2010 at 10:29 am
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The Cable News Network (CNN) Should Be Criminal News Network According to Kristin Davis, Candidate For NY Governor
CNN, has decided to hire Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced ex-New York Governor who paid for sex with now NY Post columnist, then prostitute, Ashley Dupre.
That it takes Kristin Davis, the ex-Manhattan Madam who procured prostitutes for Eliot Spitzer to protest the hypocrisy of CNN is just odd, and somehow fitting.
Kristin Davis is now running as an independent candidate for Governor of New York, promoting the legalization of prostitution, gay marriage and marijuana. But when Davis was a Madam she arranged for prostitutes for Spitzer.
When word started circulating that Eliot Spitzer was being courted by CNN Davis took action.
Should CNN now be called the Criminal News Network? Let’s remember that Spitzer violated the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting a woman across state lines for the purposes of prostitution – a crime for which a Republican New York State supreme court Justice, Ronald Tills, was charged, convicted and jailed in 2009.
Among the many ironies of his case is that, while attorney general, Spitzer prosecuted people for promoting prostitution. On June 6, 2007, he signed a law designed to prevent human trafficking and to suppress the demand for prostitution. The penalty in New York for patronizing prostitutes rose from a Class B misdemeanor (3 months jail/$500 fine) to a Class A (1 year jail/$1,000 fine) misdemeanor. All this while Eliot Spitzer was frequenting these same agencies. Spitzer has yet to admit to his hypocrisy.
What ever Kristin Davis' political motivation may be she has a point.
This should be a jaw dropping, WTF moment in American media and journalism when you consider this: Type the words CNN and Spitzer into to Google and customize the search date ranges for this day in 2009 and the top stories all deal with Spitzer and prostitution, Spitzer visiting a call girl 8 times and so on (see photo).
Photos
Indeed, the prophecies of the 1976 movie Network - a scathing indictment of the TV News business now amplified in the echo chamber that is the internet rings true (see video). Peter Finch who plays news anchor and "mad prophet of the airwaves," Howard Beale, says TV is in the "boredom killing business."
Videos
Indeed, that is what likely motivated CNN's hiring of Eliot Spitzer - traditional news, journalism all that nonsense is boring does deliver ratings, and more importantly expensive so why bother. But according to a release from CNN another talk show full of opinion is exactly what the country wants and needs.
CNN will be offering a lively roundup of all the best ideas – presented by two of the most intelligent and outspoken figures in the country,” Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S.
Kathleen Parker a Pultizer Prize winning conservative columnist will be Eliot Spitzer's co-host for the show which will likely get the 800 pm EST time slot. That time slot on CNN will be vacated by Campbell Brown. Ms. Brown with noble intent decided to step down because her own, news focused show was not drawing the ratings.
It is worth revisiting the words of the late Hunter S, Thompson
The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.
The combination of News taking the back seat and a disgraced politician getting a plumb prime-time job on CNN should give any hard working journalist pause.
It seems the smart, dedicated journalists at CNN and other TV News networks are obeying their news masters, dying slowly and quietly in corner of the newsroom.
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FrankG2k10 (not verified)at 17:15 on June 24th, 2010
I agree totally that Spitzer does NOT deserve a gig on CNN and Campbell Brown should NOT have to take a back seat to him.I also agree that news should come before fluff and gossip. But, playing devil's advocate, the stations want ratings and will show whatever the public wants to see. Unfortunately most Americans are more concerned with who the next "Bachelor/ette " is rather than what's really important. That being said, smart people know where to go for their news---online. No commercials there.