CNN’s Susan Roesgen Loses Her Job
By K. Daniel Glover | July 16, 2009
CNN won't say whether it declined to renew Susan Roesgen's contract because of her job performance, but that certainly would make sense.
Roesgen committed one of the most blatant violations of journalistic ethics ever seen on air while covering the anti-tax tea party in Chicago on April 15. She was almost universally condemned for picking a fight with an interview subject based on biased assumptions about the tea parties and the Obama administration's stimulus plan.
Even a former CNN journalist accused Roesgen of crossing a journalistic line. Roesgen wasn't back on the air for almost a month.
Roesgen may well deserve to lose her job over her outrageous coverage of the tea party, but CNN deserves no praise for the way it handled the matter. From the beginning, the network adopted the kind of strategy condemned by Eileen O'Connor, the former CNN star who criticized Roesgen.
"I think media companies are probably the worst in dealing with the media," said O'Connor, a lawyer who now offers media training. "Absolutely, I cannot believe it. It is just unbelievable. They go duck and cover right away."
CNN's response to the Roesgen affair helps explain why viewers long ago declined to renew their viewing contract with CNN and shifted to Fox -- except when they want sensational, nonstop coverage of celebrity events like Michael Jackson's funeral. Hopefully Fox learned a lesson during its Jackson obsession and will let CNN have the "Wacko Jacko" demographic.
K. Daniel Glover is a project manager for Accuracy In Media. He has worked as an editor, writer and new media specialist in the Washington area since 1991, spending most of that time at National Journal and Congressional Quarterly.
16 Comments | Post a Comment
Susan Roesgen Will most likly end up as White House Press Sec. After all the moron who is there now has shown that he it not up to the task. But for that matter who in the present Administration is not over there head Modern King Ludwing and his jester Vice King Biden or how about well Pick one there all racist liar’s. Carpet baggers IRS thieves who have nothing in common with any honest hard working man or woman much less ” I Have a dream” MLK, Judge by the content of there Charater. Just traitors to all american’s who hold freedom highest of all our rights as American’s Paladin kcs
Susan wasn’t released for her biased assumptions. She was released for not having the savy to hide them from the rest of us.
CNN delayed the firing in the hope people would forget. But memories are long for this sort of thing. Her replacement will be more skillful in disguising her liberal biases. But the genie is out of the bottle. Has been for a long time. The right now thinks of the media the way the left did about the whip-cracking Bull Connors.
Although Ms. Roesgn was completely unprofessional in her report that day, there was one thing that bothered me above and beyond her pettiness. She was really insulted that the man being interviewed was not sufficiently grateful for the opportunity of his state to receive stimulus dollars. She seems to be unaware of where the federal government gets the money and views this more like a lottery win. She probably has no idea what she pays in taxes, just happy for the opportunity to do her part.
Imagine she’ll wind up at the Daily Kos or Huffington Post by the end of next week.
There are far too many clueless and squeaky young females and far too many clueless and geeky young males on EVERY cable news, news-talk and/or infotainment channel as it is! As far as I’m concerned, they all ought to be replaced by more mature, more intelligent, and more experienced personnel who have actual and quantifiable working knowledge of the issues they’re reporting on. Too many of these “performers”, like all political partisans do, simply spout “the party line” - whatever that line happens to be on whatever channel these novices happen to be working for at the moment.
Fen has it right. She was only fired for not doing the requisite paper-thin veneer of pretending to be objective. NONE of the MSM can contain it any longer. Good journalism died when Bernie Goldberg and the like retired.
As for Cooper, well he would know a thing or 2 about ‘tea bags’, up close and personal if ya know what I mean. He putts from the rough. That’s not his real name anyway…isn’t it ‘Prada Rockefeller’ or something similar?
The only objective talking head on CNN is Lou Dobbs, who needs to beat feet over to FOX asap. This is an example of why the MSM has zero credibility, and will be held complicit in the Obama socialist fiasco.
Problem is that there are people who work both at NewsCorp and at Time Warner not just in news, but also sports and entertainment. They include Adam Alexander, Joe Buck, Kyle Petty, Larry McReynolds, Nina Easton, Adam Lashinsky, Chip Caray, Pam Oliver, Dick Stockton, Frank Caliendo, Ralph Sheheen, Matt Yocum, Bill Webber, and Bernard Goldberg.
The question is when will Dr. Sanjay Gupta get to them and pump them full of scopolamine or sodium pentathal to send their friends up the river? Or will Dr. Gupta give them the slow slice (aka “Death of a Thousand Cuts”) to send thes double agents’ friends up the river?
I am glad she is gone! The way she treated the father holding the baby was totally unacceptable and her questions were ridiculous. All news stations should take the Tea Parties as serious business as well as our President. The Tea Parties are for real! They are non-partisan and the reflect the mood of American citizens who are fed up with so much Government intervention and too much spending of OUR money! The Government works for us not the other way around! The same with that actress, what’s her name, she needs to study and know that Tea Parties and their representations are by ALL people!
July 16 at 9:40 pm | #1 | Link
She should have made a “teabagging” comment. She would probably have a job like Cooper does.
-Bri