Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:44 pm
Some new footage has surfaced today of what went on after the cameras stopped rolling on CNN reporter Susan Roesgen’s report from the Chicago Tea Party protest. Quite a confrontation ensued after the cameras went off.
The website FoundingBloggers.com has their own behind the scenes footage of the confrontation:
The protesters pointed out that Roesgen wasn’t talking to regular mainstream people, that she intentionally picked out that anti-Obama folks to represent them all. (Well to be honest, there were no pro-Obama people there). They do raise an interesting point that I had not considered. Did Roesgen rig her coverage? I would argue that she was looking for good television, which is the bias of every network. It’s not correct, but they all do it.
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After seeing this additional footage, I believe the people who are trying to spin this as a CNN vs. Fox News confrontation have it all wrong. The guy in the Rosegen piece demonstrated his class in the off camera footage, by dropping the f-bomb while holding his 2 year old child. He is definitely Father of the Year material. This was a powder keg waiting to blow.
The 500 protesters did not want CNN there, and my guess is the Roesgen wanted to get a story that would play well, and take a shot at Fox Please spare the idea that this is only a tactic of one network, they all do it. The tea baggers still look like angry extremists, but the additional footage at least explains why they were so angry. Since few of these people watch CNN, I doubt that it will impact them either way.
If nothing else the conservatives will use this as another example of what they see as media bias against them. I hate to tell them this, but groups on left face the same bias all of the time. Remember those on the left who protested the Iraq war? They were labeled lefty extremists by both Fox and CNN.
The point is that the narrative of protest groups being dangerous sales on cable television. I doubt that the group would have gotten that kind of coverage if FNC wasn’t involved with this thing. I think CNN was trying to take a shot at Fox News. I guess when your protest bombs, you need someone to blame, and the tea baggers are blaming CNN.
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
