TIME’s James Poniewozik jumps in with his own prescription for what ailes (sorry, ails) CNN. The TV critic at CNN’s corporate cousin says CNN should stay away from the “vanilla midpoint between Fox and MSNBC” and from slogan’s that don’t fit.
The problem is priorities. “No bias. No bull” is a slogan that doesn’t make sense: if you’re truly dedicated to “no bull,” then “no bias” is implicit — though you will end up taking sides. But if your first priority is proving “no bias,” you end up pitching bull or pulling your punches, and your audience can tell. (Not to mention it’s boring TV.)
CNN should focus not on both-handedness but on truth. It should let the chips fall where they may, not make sure that the chips, over time, aggregate around the middle. The slogan for my ideal CNN — or any news outlet — would be “The news: whether you like it or not.”
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