# In my humble opinion CNN is full of crap. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 2, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108 "2005-11-02T17:27:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/1 "2005-11-02T17:27:18Z")
CNN and other news organizations often state that they are just bringing people what they want in the way of news. This is the ususal defense after cricism of news coverage. This morning (2 November) CNN Headline News started a story on Prince Charles and Camilla with the headline that a survey showed that only 19% of people in the US gave a damn about the visit of Charles and Camilla. They then spent the next 3 minutes or so expanding on how uninterested in the story people were. Maybe they had a survey that said that 80% of people were interested in why only 19% were interested. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/2 "2005-11-02T17:35:51Z")
To be honest, I’m kind of interested to know why any Americans care about the British royal family. But they’ll never cover that. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/3 "2005-11-02T18:31:48Z")
It doesn’t seem _that_ long ago when the standard lead in to every news segment, every day, for months was “First up: Princess Diana is still dead.” CNN definitely has some sort of British Royalty fetish, and it’s quite annoying. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/4 "2005-11-02T19:28:28Z")
😕 **Who’s Camilla** ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/5 "2005-11-02T19:35:02Z")
> [@kniz](#): > > 😕 > **Who’s Camilla** You may not want to find out but… [This is Camilla!!!](http://www.guardian.co.uk/gallery/image/0,8543,-10105123837,00.html) :eek: Don’t say I didn’t warn you! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/6 "2005-11-02T20:16:02Z")
I stopped watching the nightly news (ABC) years ago for the following reason: Peter Jennings’ lead story was a poll that said the overwhelming majority of Americans were fed up hearing about Monica and wanted the media to SFU about it. Jennings then spent the next 15 minutes with Monica reports. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There is no journalism in America anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/7 "2005-11-02T20:27:54Z")
Count me among those who are less than enthralled by Chuck ‘n’ the Rottweiler’s visit to the Land of the Free. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/8 "2005-11-02T20:29:59Z")
Point taken. But at least they have gorgeous Anderson Cooper and Rob Marciano to look at! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/9 "2005-11-02T20:32:08Z")
Mal: “Did it make the puppet theatre?” ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/10 "2005-11-02T22:29:07Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Peter Jennings’ lead story was a poll that said the overwhelming majority of Americans were fed up hearing about Monica and wanted the media to SFU about it. Jennings then spent the next 15 minutes with Monica reports. It’s sort of like the person who posts in a thread, “I wouldn’t waste my time on this junk.” in 500 words. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/11 "2005-11-02T22:38:27Z")
Must be that the 20% are the people who buy advertising on CNN. Which I could easily believe. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/12 "2005-11-02T23:17:59Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > This morning (2 November) CNN Headline News started a story on Prince Charles and Camilla with the headline that a survey showed that only 19% of people in the US gave a damn about the visit of Charles and Camilla. They then spent the next 3 minutes or so expanding on how uninterested in the story people were. I think this is CNN being smart. In polls, people **say** they aren’t interested in the royals, because they know, intellectually, that it’s a stupid thing to be interested in, and they don’t want to be judged by the pollster. But then they buy the fuck out of _People_ magazine when Di or the princes are on the cover. CNN is winking at the audience: “We know you **pretend** not to be interested, but we know you really are, but we also know you’re too embarrassed to admit it, so we’re going to simultaneously feed your urge and bracket it in something that allows you to maintain your facade of superiority.” For the record, I am honestly, truly, totally uninterested in the royals or anything they do. But damn, _People_ sure sells a lot of magazines with those covers, don’t they? ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/13 "2005-11-02T23:57:27Z")
I can’t find the link now, but yesterday CNN posted a “secret website” that supposedly listed the items that Walmart will be selling the day after Thanksgiving. Yes, you read that breaking news story correctly: **THE ITEMS THAT WALMART WILL BE SELLING THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.** Of course my local TV station picked up this story and teased it with…“What Walmart doesn’t want you to know…next!” :rolleyes: Yeah, OK, Walmart doesn’t want anyone to know what they will be selling. Uh huh, sure, makes sense. Should I even bring up the fact that if Walmart wanted to keep it a secret that they wouldn’t have _POSTED IT ON THE INTERNET!!!?_ Plus, are they going to give **equal time** to K-Mart and Target now?? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/14 "2005-11-03T02:20:55Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I think this is CNN being smart. In polls, people **say** they aren’t interested in the royals, because they know, intellectually, that it’s a stupid thing to be interested in, and they don’t want to be judged by the pollster. But then they buy the fuck out of _People_ magazine when Di or the princes are on the cover. Could be. However, pollsters have methods of estimating and reducing error resulting from the “poll effect” on the truthfulness of peoples answers. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/15 "2005-11-03T04:26:23Z")
In my humble opinion you should have posted this thread in The BBQ Pit. Let me move it for you. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/16 "2005-11-03T04:33:35Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > You may not want to find out but… > > [This is Camilla!!!](http://www.guardian.co.uk/gallery/image/0,8543,-10105123837,00.html) :eek: > Don’t say I didn’t warn you! I know some people who actually follow this stuff. They call Camilla “that horse faced home wrecker”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/17 "2005-11-03T06:11:58Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > You may not want to find out but… > > [This is Camilla!!!](http://www.guardian.co.uk/gallery/image/0,8543,-10105123837,00.html) :eek: > Don’t say I didn’t warn you! She’s next to Charles in that picture, though. No way does her ugliness stand out. From a distance, it’s almost a shame they’re too old to have a kid together. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/18 "2005-11-03T06:12:31Z")
So Charles gave Candice Bergen a perm and a frumpy jacket and married her. What’s the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/19 "2005-11-03T06:20:42Z")
Actually, if you look at pictures of Camilla when she was young, she was rather attractive. No Diana, but who is? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108/20 "2005-11-03T06:54:24Z")
> [@The Title of this Thread](#): > > In my humble opinion CNN is full of crap. Shyaahhh! It’s “news.” It’s on television. Q. E. D., dude [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-my-humble-opinion-cnn-is-full-of-crap/329108.md?page=2)