# "Need to know" network

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-network/254448>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 10, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-network/254448 "2004-07-10T17:02:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-network/254448/1 "2004-07-10T17:02:50Z")

</div>

CNN Headline News is advertising itself as “Your Need to Know Network”.

I spent the first half of my employed life working for government contractors. We had security clearances. Now, just because you have a clearance doesn’t mean you have access to anything classified at that level. You have to have a “neet to know”.

So given my background, CNN seems to be saying “We will give you the information that you have access to. We have other information, but it’s classified and we won’t tell you what it is unless and until you can establish a “need to know” that will authorise you to receive that information.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-network/254448/2 "2004-07-10T17:13:11Z")

</div>

I think what they’re saying is that everything they broadcast is stuff you need to know, and that everything you need to know is on CNN. But you probably already knew that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-network/254448/3 "2004-07-10T17:43:43Z")

</div>

You know, if you’re really feigning for some information like a crackhead with some cheeseburgers, supposodly CNN’s got it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-network/254448/4 "2004-07-10T23:31:24Z")

</div>

I usually interpret “need to know” in the same way as the OP. It reminds me of how the communications for terrorist and/or guerrilla groups like the Weather Underground (and probably Al Qaeda, to use a modern example) are usually organized on a need-to-know basis. I get CNN’s alternative usage, but I still am reminded of the other meaning.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-network/254448/5 "2004-07-11T01:01:26Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> But you probably already knew that.

Aye, I did.

But given my background, I always think of the other.