CNN Makes a Surprisingly Welcome Move That Fox News Should Consider, Too – Opinion

We often write stories that are critical of CNN, their “reporters,” and their bias and skewed priorities because quite frankly there usually isn’t anything good to say about what goes on at CNN.

However, the saying “a broken clock does it twice per day” is true. We think that CNN may now have the right thing over other, well, many years.

Per a new memo that went out to employees this week, the struggling network’s new head honcho Chris Licht has decreed that the constant use of the “breaking news” chyron/banner has to stop – effective immediately:

It matters why: Licht and Warner Bros. David Zaslav, Discovery CEO, has made it his priority to reduce partisan programming on CNN and promote traditional journalism.

“We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers,” he said in the note obtained by Axios.

“You’ve already seen far less of the ‘Breaking News’ banner across our programming.”

Details: Licht said he agrees with complaints from “people both inside and outside the organization” that the network overuses the “Breaking News” banner.

– “It has become such a fixture on every channel and network that its impact has become lost on the audience.”

CNN’s stylebook guidelines are reportedly being updated as we speak in order to more thoroughly address the issue and to pinpoint the times when it’s appropriate to use “breaking news.”

This move is something Fox News should consider doing as well because the term “breaking news” has not only lost its luster, but people don’t click on stories labeled “breaking news” as much as they used to because they’re so tired of seeing it used for stories that shouldn’t really be considered a hot breaking news story.

Like, for instance, Joe Biden’s every move should not be treated as “breaking news,” and yet that happens often – “BREAKING: Joe Biden boards Marine One for a trip home to Delaware.” And then there are the local “breaking news” stories that aren’t really breaking news, like “BREAKING: Sunrise in the forecast for tomorrow.”

The term “breaking news” used to be treated by readers and viewers as a signal the story This was something important that they needed to read/watch, because it usually wasIt was something people should know. But it’s been so overused to the point it’s no become a sensationalistic tool for the media – especially on cable news networks like CNN and Fox News, that a lot of people simply tune it out.

I know I’ve gotten really frustrated with Fox News many times when they’ve left the “Breaking News” banners up on their website and/or the chyrons on their channel for hours for a story that yesterday was legitimately “breaking” but isn’t anymore.

It’s time to get back to the days when “breaking news” was actual breaking news, and not just a way to try and grab the audience’s attention for a story that was undeserving of the label. CNN is commended for taking the initiative to change the news, even though there are bigger problems in their coverage. But they had to begin somewhere.

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