Case Study on CNN
1.
Introduction
CNN
is one of the world’s biggest media and entertainment industries which has
significant role in international communications. It had a humble beginning and was
derogatorily referred to by rivals as ‘Chicken Noodle Network’ because of its
simplicity and of its advertisement. The slogan of CNN is ‘Go There This is
CNN’. CNN delivers the latest breaking news and information on the latest top
stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics, and more. It is watched by
the ordinary people, government ministers, top bureaucrats, company chief
executives, military chiefs, religious and academic elites. CNN News group was
one of the largest and most profitable news and information companies in the
world. It has six cable and satellite television networks, two radio networks, 11
web sites on CNN interactive, CNN Airport Network and CNN News source.
2.
History
The
New York-based Time Warner, the world’s largest entertainment and Information
Company, started The Cable News Network (CNN) and was launched by an American
media proprietor Ted Turner at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 1, 1980. CNN is a
basic cable and satellite television channel that has major businesses in
movies, publishing, music, cable TV and internet. Bernard Shaw was the first
news anchor of CNN and was the chief anchor till his retirement in 2001. CNN is
a 24 hours dedicated television news channel that grew just over a decade to
become a premier global news network.
The
Atlanta-based Cable News Network (CNN) became the first television channel to
provide 24-hour news coverage and was the first all-news television channel in
USA. It has become one of the world’s leading international news channels
especially after the deregulation and liberalisation of the international
communication sector in the 1990s. The use of satellite technology which was a
mixture of intelsat, tersputnik, PanAmSat and regional satellite signals made CNN
start international service within five years after it was launched. Its move from a national to a global new
organisation was also due to its aggressive strategy of covering live
international news events, through news exchange programmes with more than 100
broadcasting organisations across the world[1].
3.
CNN
Programming
CNN
has variety of programmes which fulfil the audience need to get information,
education and entertainment. The 24 hours television network, CNN has rolling
news programming, interview programs, documentaries, debates, special
programmes, medical program, finance program, factual programming, political
talk shows, sports and others. Some of the CNN programming are morning
programming consists of Early Start,
followed by New Day, in late-morning
and early afternoon programming consists of CNN
Newsroom, late afternoon and early evening programming consists of The Lead. In the evening and primetime
more in-depth programming like Erin
Burnett OutFront, Anderson Cooper
360°, a call-in talk show with a live audience like TalkBack Live and a program focusing on issues and advancements in
the computer industry like Computer
Connection. During the weekend special programmes like medical program Sanjay Gupta MD, the finance-oriented program
like Your Money, and others like Inside Politics with John King, State of the
Union with Candy Crowley, CNN Live Saturday, CNN Live Sunday and the media
analysis program Reliable Sources.
4.
Reachability
and publishing arm
CNN
did not restrict itself only to national audience in USA but through CNN
International they air their programme to over 212 countries and territories. It
is available to more than 800 million people worldwide. The company has 36
bureaus (10 domestic, 26 international), more than 900 affiliated local
stations (which also receive news and features content via the video newswire
service CNN News source), and several regional and foreign-language networks
around the world[2].
CNN2 which later came to be known as CNN Headline News (HLN) was launched on
January 1, 1982 to provide continuous 24-hour live news coverage. The
publishing arm of the company is Time Inc. With its flagship international
magazine Time and 32 other magazines,
including Fortune, Life, People, Sports
Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly and Asiaweek[3].
CNN
is specialising in building up personality and those news anchors will be
representing the news channel itself. For example in CNN-IBN Rajdeep Sardesai
and Barkha Dutt became famous because the channel helped them to be so. So when
we speak of CNN-IBN we usually associate with Rajdeep or Barkha Dutt. Politically
CNN is quite neutral. Even though CNN has a leaning towards Democratic Party, still
most of the coverage seems to be left-centric and not fully with the left
party.
5.
Major
events where CNN gave coverage are;
5.1 The
launch and subsequent explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28,
1986.
5.2 The
rescue of an 18-month-old toddler, Jessica McClure, who fell down in a well in
Midland, Texas.
5.3 The
only news channels to provide live reports from the al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad
during Persian Gulf War in 1991. Some scholars termed the impact of CNN during this
war as ‘CNN effect’. CNN has an effect on political and economic sectors at global
level.
5.4 The
first news channels to cover the bombing of the World Trade Center on September
11, 2001 at 8:49 a.m. Eastern Time.
5.5 In
2007, the channel hosted the first CNN-YouTube presidential debates during the
Democratic and Republican primary seasons.
5.6 It
has the highest viewership during the 2008 U.S. presidential election because
of its up to date news.
5.7 It
devoted a large amount of time for the 2012 U.S. presidential election
especially the debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
CNN
was instrumental for many television networks in the world. In the 1993 it
involved in the launch of TV 6, the first private television network in Russia.
It was one of the first Western news organisations to open a bureau in Cuba. It
entered into agreement with China Cable Television (CCTV) to receive and
selectively distribute its programme. The live coverage of the 1991 Gulf War by
their reporters make CNN to the world’s first ‘real time’ war, in television
became the first and principal source of information[4] for
people, military and political intelligence. It was the only news outlet with
the ability to communicate from inside Iraq during the initial hours of the
Coalition bombing campaign, with live reports from the al-Rashid Hotel in
Baghdad[5]. It
was through CNN that people were able to watch the Chinese students protesting
against authorities in Beijing’s Tianamen Square in 1989. CNN Deutschland, a
half-hour daily German language slots was introduced in 1997. In the same year
CNN en Espanol, a Spanish language channel based in Atlanta was launched for
the Latin American market. In 1999 CNN Turk, a Turkic channel was launched. CNN-IBN,
an Indian news channel, CNNj, a Japanese news outlet, CNN Indonesia, an
Indonesian news outlet and CNN Chile, a Chilean news channel that launched on
December 4, 2008.
6.
CNN
venture
Theodore
Roosevelt said, “There can be no life without change, and to be afraid of what
is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life.” CNN did not remain
stagnant but give way to change. It ventures into different areas such as
finance, sports, travel, entertainment, news, weather, technology, fashion,
World, U.S., Video, Health, IReport and a lot more. CNNfn was a financial
service started in 1995 to provide coverage on stock. CNN-SI (Sport
Illustrated) to provide 24 hours coverage on sport, CNN style to provide
information about latest designs in fashion world, CNN technology to provide up
to date information on technology, CNN Freedom Project which deals with
humanitarian news media campaign, CNN Airport which is the only live TV service
broadcast to travellers in US airports, CNN Headline News (HLN) which focused
on live news coverage, CNN entertainment which deals with information about entertainment industry and CNN Heroes to
honour individuals who make extraordinary contributions to humanitarian aid and
make a difference in their communities. CNN Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and
other social media to reach out to the mass was also introduced. CNN Newsource
is one of the world’s most extensive syndicated news services with more than
200 international affiliates[6]. CNN
News group has two CNN radio networks; they are CNN Radio and a Spanish version
of CNN Radio Noticias.
7.
Media
Theories in relation to CNN
Agenda
Setting Theory: Dr. Max McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw: CNN sets the agenda for other
news channels.
Two
Step Flow Theory: Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet: CNN were
opinion leaders and people totally rely on information given by CNN.
8.
Criticism
CNN
at times sacrifice depth in favour of the widest and quickest reach of the live
news to heterogeneous global audience. For example the Boston Marathon bombings
on April 15, 2013 where two people were wrongly reported as suspects.
Occasionally there is lack of accuracy in the news they provided. For many
non-Americans, CNN was and remains the voice of the US Government and corporate
elite, despite its international presence, its multinational staff and its
claims to be free from US geo-strategic and economic interests.
9.
Conclusion
CNN
has been one of the most trusted, viewed and popular cable and satellite
networks in the world. The nature of providing latest news, entertaining
programmes and interactive talk shows grasp the attention of viewers.
Bibliography
Books
Thussu,
Daya Kishan (2003) International
Communication. New York: Hodder
Arnold publications.
Internet
http://www.asgllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CS_CNN.pdf
accessed on 4/1/2015
http://www.f-i.com/cnn/
accessed on 4/1/2015
http://www.
Cnn.com accessed on 6/1/2015
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN
accessed on 6/1/2015
Footnotes
[1] Thussu,
Daya Kishan (2003) International
Communication. New York: Hodder
Arnold publications. pg. 157
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN
accessed on 6/1/2015
[3] Thussu,
Daya Kishan (2003) International
Communication. New York: Hodder
Arnold publications. pg. 121
[4] Thussu,
Daya Kishan (2003) International
Communication. New York: Hodder
Arnold publications. pg. 157
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN
accessed on 6/1/2015
[6] Thussu,
Daya Kishan (2003) International
Communication. New York: Hodder
Arnold publications. pg. 159
