CNN is doing their part to turn Edward Snowden into a joke by obsessively giving his every move the ‘poop cruise’ treatment.
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Judging from CNN’s coverage, that is Edward Snowden’s future.
Here is CNN talking to Glenn Greenwald this morning:
CNN seems to be the only network that will get within a country mile of Greenwald after his sensational initial reporting on the PRISM program turned out to be inaccurate and easily debunked, by things other people call facts. CNN doesn’t care though because they think Snowden on the run equals ratings, so the get ready for Edward Snowden to be turned into Poop Cruise 2.0.
They filled their coverage with shots of the Moscow airport that Snowden was going to land in. Their crawl was all Snowden, all the time. Instead of talking about the important issues that surround the Patriot Act, CNN is obsessing over Edward Snowden. Sadly, this is exactly what Greenwald and Snowden seem to have wanted all along.
Edward Snowden could have followed a different path. If he had real information about secret intelligence programs, he could have made contact with a member of Congress and offered to testify. If invited, he could have talked about what he knew without committing a crime. If Snowden would have gone to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and/or the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), he could have asked for immunity. He could have at least gotten the ball rolling on a real congressional inquiry. If Congress wouldn’t listen, then he could leak the info as a last resort. Snowden would have gotten a lot more sympathy if he would have tried to go through proper channels, but there is no indication that he ever pursued this course of action.
Instead of real change, what we have now is a fugitive on a great commie odyssey around the globe.
By CNN’s own reporting a Venezuelan diplomat met Snowden in Moscow, so that is likely his next stop. Lost in all of this media fluff is the fact that no one is talking about the Patriot Act. The media will always choose chasing the shiny object over informing people. Edward Snowden has gotten famous. Glenn Greenwald has gotten attention, and even accused rapist Julian Assange has gotten in on the action.
If the ratings bump for CNN, it is win-win for everybody, except for people who care about facts and information.
The moment to have a serious discussion about the issues has been lost. Looking at the parties involved, this turn of events is disappointing but not surprising.
Forget about your privacy. Welcome to the new ‘poop cruise,’ and the ultimate distraction that is Edward Snowden.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
