# When did CNN become so liberal? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437 "2013-01-16T22:50:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/21 "2013-05-01T20:23:37Z")
Like many other news networks CNN is showing news less and less. Mostly talking heads and opinions. I find their straight news reporting to be mostly neutral. If anything it’s become less liberal than it used to be. I also think they are worse than they have ever been. Their coverage of the marathon bombing and manhunt was unwatchable as it unfolded. I thought CBS was very good. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/22 "2013-05-01T20:25:51Z")
> [@XT](#): > > It’s possible, though my views on this stuff haven’t really substantially changed. If anything, I’d say I’ve moved more left than right overall, due mainly to my participation on this board. I think it’s just that the gun debate has really swung to the left on a national scale. It’s no longer a 50-50 issue and CNN is probably reflecting the vast majority of popular opinions on the topic. The last poll I saw WRT the recently defeated gun control legislation was 80% pro control. CNN isn’t becoming biased, it’s just that the national dialogue has become far less ambivalent about it and CNN is echoing that. > [@Simplitico](#): > > The first word in the titles of all their opinion pieces is “Opinion”. I don’t really see how they can be accused of blurring those pieces in with their news. Their news articles are generally straight news. If CNN is starting to put opinion pieces front and center as a way to drive traffic that is probably a bad thing. It’s not misleading necessarily (though I’d argue the average read is too daft to really understand the distinction between an editorial versus a new article) but it places a higher value on engaging eyeballs than reporting and journalism. In other words, the truth is less important than the angle. I expect this from HuffPo and Fox, but CNN still gets a little cred for having some pretension of being unfiltered and focused on the facts. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/23 "2013-05-01T20:32:22Z")
CNN is really pounding the Gun Control drums, but for the most part it’s like President Obama joked: They report all angles in case one of the is accurate. There is a blistering about of Conservative Derp being put on CNN in the form of Editorials. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/24 "2013-05-01T22:06:22Z")
> [@XT](#): > > YMMV, obviously…it’s clear that most of the posters in this thread don’t see the same things I’m seeing, or feel that this shows bias. It’s all about ones political viewpoint, obviously. My dad doesn’t see the bias on Fox and watches it all the time, but it’s clear to me that it’s highly biased. Well, what I’m seeing lately on CNN shows similar (though less extreme so far) trends. No, everyone in this thread is agreeing they are biased on gun control, but alleges they aren’t for anything else. You haven’t provided any evidence they are biased for anything else, either. I’d actually guess that the problem is that news channels like Fox are much, much more conservative, so CNN seems more liberal in comparison. I don’t know where people got this idea that having competing viewpoints is neutral. Unless the situation is divided exactly 50%, it’s biased towards the minority viewpoint. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/25 "2013-05-01T23:48:38Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I agree that CNN is the most neutral and moderate of the cable news outlets. That doesn’t mean they produce quality news, but I don’t see signs of a strong bias one way or another. One thing they do that does (IMO) point to a mild liberal bias is that when news is slow on the US CNN site, they’ll front-page, or whatever it’s called when they put it near the top of the page, social-justice stories about how bad life is in some dump in Africa or Asia, instead of more pertinent US news, even if neither is very momentous. It’s not so much in the actual reporting sometimes, it’s in the mix of articles they choose to publish. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/26 "2013-05-02T00:17:16Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > My guess is 5pm EST, June 1, 1980. Seems unlikely…isn’t it always E **D** T in June? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/27 "2013-05-02T01:16:46Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Like many other news networks CNN is showing news less and less. Mostly talking heads and opinions. I find their straight news reporting to be mostly neutral. If anything it’s become less liberal than it used to be. I also think they are worse than they have ever been. Their coverage of the marathon bombing and manhunt was unwatchable as it unfolded. I thought CBS was very good. I watched some CNN around the time they captured Suspect #2. This was about the time the whole Miranda/not Miranda debate was going on, and the key piece of the “public safety” puzzle was whether or not any imminent threat was still present. Wolf Blitzer was doing everything he could to get the officials to specifically state that no further threat was imminent, like he was trying to get them all on record that the public safety exception did not apply. None of them blinked an eye, all said there was no danger, but Wolf was doing his part, by golly! ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/28 "2013-05-02T14:21:57Z")
In the 90’s it was referred to as the Clinton News Network because it was so much on his side. It has always been liberal like most of the rest of the media. When it is a subject you know or care much about it is much more obvious than on topics you only have a mild interest in. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/29 "2013-05-02T16:58:15Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > In the 90’s it was referred to as the Clinton News Network because it was so much on his side. It has always been liberal like most of the rest of the media. When it is a subject you know or care much about it is much more obvious than on topics you only have a mild interest in. You mean when it’s a subject you’re dogmatic on. Confirmation bias in thy name. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437/30 "2013-05-02T19:28:29Z")
> [@bump](#): > > One thing they do that does (IMO) point to a mild liberal bias is that when news is slow on the US CNN site, they’ll front-page, or whatever it’s called when they put it near the top of the page, social-justice stories about how bad life is in some dump in Africa or Asia, instead of more pertinent US news, even if neither is very momentous. > > It’s not so much in the actual reporting sometimes, it’s in the mix of articles they choose to publish. FWIW, they’ve also always been very “green.” “We must save the rainforest because there might be a plant in it that could be the cure for AIDS” is the _ad nauseam_ bit that always got me. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cnn-become-so-liberal/647437.md?page=1)