By Datuk Huan Cheng Guan
President, Centre for Political Awareness
During the current MH370 crisis, people are hungry for information. However, CNN News offers a constant stream of biased information on MH370 in the name of reporting news. Not only does it exacerbate existing problems but it also turns people against Malaysia, which is doing its best and cooperating with 26 nations to find the missing plane. Clearly, CNN has an ideological orientation to deride Malaysia in a consistent stream of biased articles and features for a hidden agenda.
In the world of CNN, the pursuit for ratings overrides the necessity for reporting facts. CNN presenters hit a new low when some of their news presenters resorted to using a toy plane to illustrate their theories by pointing out parts of the toy while testing out their theories and presenting the same information while condemning others. How pathetic! For such an international media house to cut back on CGI or other costly graphics just to chase the news element is evidence of their malicious intent to stir a cauldron of hatred towards Malaysia.
In recent years, CNN has lost out to Fox News until MH370 went missing. Obviously, the connected world is absorbed and very interested in this mystery. CNN saw a gold mine in the MH370 news and manipulated it to the max. Consequently, CNN ratings have soared past Fox News despite CNN’s lame repeated broadcast of expert analysis regarding the little known information it could harvest from other sources.
In short, the motivation of CNN is mercenary – profit via higher ratings. It is NOT true journalism whereby journalists advance a story based on thorough research and facts. Who has had to pay the price for their irresponsible and selfish reports?
Malaysia, of course! Have a heart! Consider what everyone is going through.
The lack of research by their broadcast journalists is not only shameful but also insulting! In one news broadcast, it referred to Kuala Lumpur as part of Indonesia. Is this responsible reporting or a clueless rush job done hastily just to fire another salvo at Malaysia. Please refer to the following screenshot:
Apart from that, CNN continues to insult our intelligence by giving airtime to any ludicrous or stupid theory on the disappearance of MH370. In one broadcast AT THIS LINK, a former Transportation Official actually, literally has to explain to CNN's Don Lemon (who also played with a toy plane in another news broadcast) that Black Holes, , the Bermuda Triangle, Twilight Zone and even ‘Lost’ had nothing to do with the disappearance of the still missing Flight MH370.
Transcript:
“Is it possible, Mary?" asked, Lemon.
"A small black hole would suck in our entire universe, so we know it’s not that. A Bermuda Triangle is often weather, and Lost is a TV show.”
In another CNN article ”So many sightings, nothing to see -- search for Flight 370 objects still wanting” by Ashley Fantz, it is clear that the motive is to make fun of all who are involved in the SARs for MH370:
They've been spotted and spotted again, those objects in the southern Indian Ocean. Every time a report comes out that something has been seen that may be related to missing Malaysia Flight 370, hopes have risen. And then, they have fallen. It's seemed like a daily exercise.
That article gave a chronological account of how objects were spotted in different situations and then nothing came out of it without mentioning the difficulties in each situation. They repeatedly highlighted how the parties involved were unable to find those objects. If they are so clever, why are those reporters hiding behind cameras and lording over SARs teams? Go out in the seas and oceans and find those objects. Let us see what sort of reports they will be writing then.
CNN is also well known for its biased reporting as seen in its coverage of the Iranian regime. Recently, CNN interviewed Anwar Ibrahim about his views on MH370. They chose NOT to interview our Prime Minister or the Acting Minister of Transport - both of whom would be in a better position to give detailed answers! In sharp contrast, CNN sent Richard Quest to interview MH370 co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid for CNN Business Traveler weeks before the plane’s disappearance on February 19th. That episode has NOT been aired. Why? It seems dodgy that CNN can send a reporter to hobnob with the pilot of a missing plane and NOT interview the top leaders of Malaysia. A bizarre coincidence? Is there more than meets the eye judging from the current slant in its reporting?
CNN is clearly not rooting for news anymore. Its distorted priority on ratings, profit and supporting whatever hidden political agenda has blinded its producers from complying to journalistic principles and the basic responsibility of reporting truthfully and responsibly. Do not pick on Malaysia for whatever motives you may have! If you want to write about Malaysia, do so truthfully!
so much for professional journalism exhibited by CNN!
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