Why Not a Libertarian CNN?

Nick Gillespie | April 28, 2009

As long as we're beating (beatoing?) on CNN, why not suggest that the original cable news behemoth turn its ratings slide around by going libertarian? To wit, Scott Jensen's web manifesto (webifesto?):

The Cable News Network (CNN) is now in third place among the three cable news networks and its viewership continues to fall.  It is the grand-daddy of cable news networks ... and that's what the public views it as.  An old fossil.  What CNN needs is a new direction and there's no better way to get a new direction than getting a new boss....

I would like to put my name forward to be the new CEO of CNN.  My name is Scott Jensen, I'm a 45-year-old marketer, author of the 2003 white paper "P2P Revolution" (http://www.nonesuch.org/p2prevolution.pdf) that focused on peer-to-peer networks' potential impact on the entertainment industry, and the following is my vision for a new CNN....

As this last presidential election has proven beyond doubt, there is no impartial news media.  But the truth of the matter is that there never was an impartial news media.  Read history.  Shortly after the United States of America was born, newspapers were either republican (what Thomas Jefferson represented) or federalist (what Alexander Hamilton represented).  And today the press is just as biased.  Today, Fox caters to conservatives and CNN and MSNBC cater to liberals...

Libertarianism is where young adults live and breathe and thus I, as CNN's new CEO, would better position CNN to go after advertisers' most sought-after demographic group.  Libertarianism's "Do as you like as long as you physically harm no one" is something young adults can readily understand and fully agree with.  Fiscally conservative and socially liberal is another way of putting libertarianism.  Personal freedom and personal accountability is still another way of putting it....

More, including digs at Larry King and an email address for Time Warner's CEO, here.

Comments

Xeones|4.28.09 @ 8:22AM|#

You know what's going to happen to CNN? Not this.

|4.28.09 @ 8:25AM|#

Why not an Ashton Kutcher-focused CNN? Kutcher truly "is where young adults live and breathe".

BakedPenguin|4.28.09 @ 8:43AM|#

That's too bad, Xeones. I was hoping you could get a spot on the libertarian news channel, discussing vital, timely issues.

Ex: News story ends about asshole politician X attempting to create massive intrusion into our lives.

V/O ANNOUNCER: "To present commentary on this and other issues, here's Xeones"

FADE IN TO XEONES:

"Yo, fuck [asshole politician X]"

V/O ANNOUNCER: "The views represented here do not necessary reflect the views of LNN, even though they probably do."

CUT TO COMMERCIAL:

I was looking forward to that.

ed|4.28.09 @ 8:48AM|#

"young adults live and breathe...

...as self-centered, ignorant narcissists. You want to turn CNN into... MTV ?

|4.28.09 @ 9:00AM|#

Today, Fox caters to conservatives retards and CNN and MSNBC cater to liberals different retards..

There.

creech|4.28.09 @ 9:02AM|#

I would guess that the Koch brothers (17th richest in the world according to FORBES) have enough to buy CNN. Too bad that the old Objectivist Ted Turner morphed into something else or libertarians would already have their own network.

Xeones|4.28.09 @ 9:08AM|#

That's too bad, Xeones. I was hoping you could get a spot on the libertarian news channel, discussing vital, timely issues.

That would be ratings gold, Penguin. Yo, fuck the FCC.

High Every Body|4.28.09 @ 9:11AM|#

Still nothing from Reason on the cool air show over Manhattan Island yesterday?

High Every Body|4.28.09 @ 9:12AM|#

Too bad that the old Objectivist Ted Turner morphed into something else or libertarians would already have their own network.

I blame Jane Fonda.

|4.28.09 @ 9:17AM|#

Yo, fuck the FCC.

I thought cable could still technically say / show whatever they wanted, and were only limited by the outrage of viewers via advertisers. Have I been mythed?

|4.28.09 @ 9:29AM|#

⅞ Libertarian,

The FCC and Congress has kept the cable and satellite industry in line through the threat of expanding the scope of the FCC.

Link

|4.28.09 @ 9:39AM|#

Ah, another one of those "voluntary" compliance issues. Like attending Meadow Soprano's wedding.

Bingo|4.28.09 @ 9:43AM|#

I do recall CNN having the most fair coverage of Ron Paul during the primary season. Of course, that could be an indication of how desperate they really are.

|4.28.09 @ 9:47AM|#

I'm throwing the penalty flag for excessive use of parentheses.

JLM|4.28.09 @ 9:51AM|#

Charles Krauthammer as a regular pundit for Neal Boortz? Yeah!!

Fail.

Warty|4.28.09 @ 9:53AM|#

You know what else would be great? Ponies. Let's all get ponies and ride them to the ice cream shop.

Warty|4.28.09 @ 9:55AM|#

domo, ever write any Lisp code?

|4.28.09 @ 9:55AM|#

Interesting Michael Lind article in Salon about "Libertarian Secession" on the high seas. http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/04/28/secession/

Warty|4.28.09 @ 10:08AM|#

Michael Lind is a bit of a dick, innit he?

|4.28.09 @ 10:12AM|#

Actually CNN has improved over the past few years. They are almost watchable. Much more reasoned than MSNOBAMA.

Xeones|4.28.09 @ 10:13AM|#

Interesting Michael Lind article in Salon about "Libertarian Secession" on the high seas.

Good grief. If Lind were any more snide he'd choke to death on his own venom.

Nice to know where we stand, though. It seems that just wanting to be left alone is exactly the same thing as wanting to own slaves and oppress women.

Shut the fuck up, Michael Lind.

hmm|4.28.09 @ 10:14AM|#

I wouldn't be amazed if Fox tried to "hijack" or take something similar to this line. They have at least a pseudo fiscally conservative approach, all they need to work on is the socially liberal and not having casters say things like marijuana rips your lungs out.

CNN is dead, the on air talent at CNN is worse than NPR. they sound like zombies.
MSNBC has headed of with the Progressive band wagon and denying it (to some extent)
Fox is doing what Murdoch has said it would do from day one.

|4.28.09 @ 10:23AM|#

CNN should have midgets. Lots and lots of midgets.

Juggling midgets, acrobatic midgets, stunt-pilot midgets, cowboy midgets on midget ponies; I would totally watch CNN, then.

|4.28.09 @ 10:25AM|#

"Juggling midgets, acrobatic midgets, stunt-pilot midgets, cowboy midgets on midget ponies; I would totally watch CNN, then."


Good idea except that TLC already did that. TLC is pretty much the midget reality channel these days.

|4.28.09 @ 10:26AM|#

I think a non-pregnant Cambell Brown and Robin Meade doing the news in the nude would probably help CNN's ratings more than anything.

|4.28.09 @ 10:29AM|#

the midget reality channel

Silly John, suckered by the mass media again. Midgets aren't real. Everyone knows that.

Atanarjuat|4.28.09 @ 10:40AM|#

I'm throwing the penalty flag for excessive use of parentheses.

But you didn't mind the random multi-colored bold chunks of text?

|4.28.09 @ 10:57AM|#

But you didn't mind the random multi-colored bold chunks of text?

I only had one flag. but yeah.

|4.28.09 @ 10:59AM|#

If we were libertarians no one would invite us to the good parties and all the "in" people would laugh and make fun of us. Also, we would miss out on being a part of the Obama generation and movement. Who would want that?

|4.28.09 @ 11:09AM|#

I think a non-pregnant Cambell Brown and Robin Meade doing the news in the nude would probably help CNN's ratings more than anything.

Fox would just counter with a nude Megyn Kelly and win the rating sweeps

http://www.liteflush.com/wh2006/wh20064.jpg

|4.28.09 @ 11:18AM|#

Megyn's pretty damned hot. But I will still take Meade and her huge boobs.

MNG|4.28.09 @ 11:26AM|#

"there is no impartial news media"

This so silly. Yes, of course, total impartiality and objectivity is unattainable, but that doesn't mean that some sources are not more objective and impartial than others. And the latter would be a better place to get your news.

It's amazing to me how relativistic some people are about this.

MNG|4.28.09 @ 11:27AM|#

I think a combination of P Brooks and John's suggestions would be the sure bet.

JImbo|4.28.09 @ 11:42AM|#

It would be nice to have a news channel that could safely say, "They are all idiots and here is why."

Better would just be to have a media company that was willing to step into this century and realize that YouTube is a valuable distribution channel and that P2P networks are not inherently evil.

I'd love to have a news organization that allowed me to view stories the way that I wanted.

(Oh and not try to force web sites to remove footage of my employees being idiots with some ludicrous copyright argument.)

I'm curious as to who will be the first media company to go viral and let the consumers pick and choose what they want.

|4.28.09 @ 11:47AM|#

MNG,

Naked hot chicks and midgets, how could it fail?

|4.28.09 @ 12:01PM|#

CNN suffers from personality deficiency. It might have the best reporting for all I know, but it's just so boring so I don't watch. Who would have thought a man with the name Wolf Blitzer could be such a droning automaton?

ed|4.28.09 @ 12:34PM|#

TLC is pretty much the midget reality channel these days.

Those are dwarfs. Not nearly the same thing as midgets, who are cute and cuddly. Dwarfs are grotesque and should be annihilated. I have spoken.

|4.28.09 @ 12:50PM|#

They are almost watchable. Much more reasoned than MSNOBAMA

I know what you mean...three hours of that screaming liberal Joe Scarborough fellating Obama is painful to watch.

iamse7en|4.28.09 @ 2:06PM|#

Libertarian thought is actually rational and thought-provoking. Liberalism is just plain stupid. I consider myself a conservative, but I'd definitely watch a libertarian CNN. I can't even bear to watch FOX.

jtuf|4.28.09 @ 2:25PM|#

Why would Libertarians turn into a new CNN with a white wash of a libertarian bent when we could just go online and read articles by columnists who were consistently libertarian their whole careers?

|4.28.09 @ 3:09PM|#

Silly John, suckered by the mass media again. Midgets aren't real. Everyone knows that.

May His Noodly Appendage forgive your blasphemy!

bubba|4.28.09 @ 6:11PM|#

I don't see a market for fiscal conservatives.

After all, those aren't likely to be big impulse spenders, are they?

So, if it's just about being socially liberal, why not the current drek?

Scott Jensen|4.29.09 @ 1:24PM|#

Hi, the author of the website here.

What I wrote was written to hopefully spark a public discussion about political biases in the news media. That's it. I do not expect to be offered the CEO post at CNN nor do I expect CNN to become libertarian. So if you have any questions for me, ask away.

|4.29.09 @ 4:51PM|#

Scott, your Libertarian makeover idea for CNN is intriguing. I don't think their current makeover is working (I watch them 90% less now with all of their commentary and grouchy-lawyers-talking-about-court-cases shows than I did when they just did straight news and when "Breaking News" meant something more than "Wolf Blitzer is talking.") What specific things would you like to see CNN do to attract Libertarians and young adults?

|4.29.09 @ 5:46PM|#

But then I would have to watch Libertarian CNN!

Scott Jensen|4.29.09 @ 10:14PM|#

Kirk,

Aside from what I outlined on the website, I would give an order to cover the Libertarian Party ... but not with kid gloves. I would tell the reporters to hold the LP to high standards and rake them over hot coals when they stumble. Some LPers will not like this treatment but how the LP currently operates isn't working. There is not a SINGLE member of the LP in Congress. Besides, hard coverage is better than no coverage ... which is what the LP currently gets. And by giving hard coverage, no one will think that CNN is the lap dog of the LP.

As for an example of what fire I'd hold LP's feet to, I'd be pushing them to run their presidential primaries at the same time as the Democrats and Republicans do theirs. This would open up the presidential nomination process to the press and public. It would weed out the poor campaigners and give the good ones to light a spark under the public.

As for attracting young people, I would focus on attracting college students and on this score I would put all CNN shows on the road. Have them broadcast for a week at a different major college campus each week during the fall and spring college semesters. Not all CNN shows from one university each week but a different university for each CNN show. During spring break, I'd have CNN shows go to the different cities and countries where college congregate. Daytona Beach, Cancun, etc. Then during the summer and Christmas break, CNN would broadcast from its home city.

daveednyc|5.1.09 @ 2:11PM|#

Best idea(s) I've heard all week. Although I have yet to be convinced of your assertion that "libertarianism is where young adults live and breathe." There's a distinction between wanting to learn more about individual liberty and how to defend it versus wanting to just be left alone. I see many young adults in the latter category.

And why focus almost entirely on politics? What about free markets? Or other endeavors founded upon individualism? Surely garnering viewership from innovative entrepreneurs and thinkers would also be a valuable goal, and not just laissez-faire college students.

Scott Jensen|5.2.09 @ 8:12PM|#

Daveednyc,

Laissez-faire literally means "hands off" in French so it would take in both your distinctions you mentioned in your first paragraph.

As for focusing entirely on politics, that's where the ratings are located in cable news. It is why MSNBC does better than CNBC. But also realize that free markets is part of libertarianism but libertarianism isn't just free markets. Same could be said of individualism.

As for garnering viewership from innovative entrepreneurs and thinkers, those individuals span the political spectrum. The ones that lean conservative are currently drawn to Fox, the ones that lean liberal currently drawn to MSNBC, and the ones that lean libertarian would be drawn to my CNN.

|5.3.09 @ 4:16PM|#

This is a GREAT idea!!! CNN is tanking, and before the government decides to bail it out, we should hand it over to Scott in my opinion.

RESCUE CNN!

|5.10.09 @ 6:09AM|#

I didn't know CNN was tanking, but this is great news!

CNN pisses me off most by being childish, even jejune. (Oh, and the fellating Obama thing.) They don't just report, they inject their own obvious opinion and react to what they're reporting, and that is not journalism. It wouldn't be so bad if they'd ever been taught critical thinking, but apparently that got dropped from public school curricula a generation or more ago.

A Libertarian CNN is a great idea, but it's a tad late. Freedom of speech is disappearing as we speak, especially if you're an animal rights advocate, you think taxes are voluntary, or you're against abortion. Actually, it started fading in 2007: http://witchazle.blogspot.com/2007/11/small-rant-about-cnn.html