Aaron Brown: On Cable News, Political Mud-Wrestling, And Viewership

By Brian 

Former CNN anchor Aaron Brown says he tried to provide NewsNight viewers with a balanced diet of light and serious news, but “I always knew when I got to the Brussels sprouts, I was on thin ice.” That’s one of many nuggets in this Palm Beach Daily News story about an “impassioned speech” he recently delivered. Here are some of the other nuggets:

> On truth: “Truth no longer matters in the context of politics and, sadly, in the context of cable news.”

> On the state of political debate in America: “Any criticism of the administration is regarded as hatred of the president and hatred of the country itself.”

> On “the swift-boating of John Murtha:” “Cable didn’t search for the truth, but engaged in mock debates pitting those making the charges against Murtha’s defenders.”

> On the viewers’ responsibility: “It’s not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn’t enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it.”

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