CNN is throwing something new at people who have tried to portray it as a purveyor of so-called “fake news.”
In what may be one of the most distinctive and unorthodox promotional campaigns from the Time Warner cable-news outlet since Ted Turner launched it in 1980, CNN will push back against the portrayal by critics and members of the Trump administration that it dispenses made-up stories to the public in deliberate fashion. A new branding campaign gives the network a new slogan: “Facts First.”
At a time when President Trump and his representatives have been caught in many instances of giving out inaccurate information and details, “CNN has never been more relevant than we are now,” says Allison Gollust, CNN Worldwide’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, in an interview. “There’s a conversation happening around journalism and media and the First Amendment,” she says. “It’s happening right now. We felt compelled to participate in that conversation with a brand campaign that reminds people who we are and what we do and why we do it.”
What a difference a political cycle makes. Not too long ago, in 2010, CNN suffered while critics charged its content was too middle-of-the-road or plain-vanilla, in contrast with what was being delivered by Fox News Channel or MSNBC. Now, after scrapping “Piers Morgan Tonight” for newsier primetime programming and colorful non-fiction documentaries and docu-series, the network sometimes finds itself on defense when its reporting has spice, and fact-checks Trump administration policies and pronouncements.
The campaign launches as new concerns rise about the public’s ability to ferret out real information from manipulated stuff. A recent Pew Research survey found that 51% of technologists and scholars surveyed think the current “information environment” will not improve, owing to bad actors using “new digital tools to take advantage of humans’ inbred preference for comfort and convenience and their craving for the answers they find in reinforcing echo chambers.” Some even contemplated “a future information landscape in which fake information crowds out reliable information.” Pew Research said 49% of those surveyed felt technology and human desire would help solve the problem.
One of the promos, which start appearing on CNN today, shows a stark picture of an apple on the screen, while music plays. “This is an apple,” says a narrator. “Some people might try to tell you that it’s a banana. They might scream ‘Banana. Banana. Banana.’ over and over and over again. They might put ‘banana’ in all caps. You might even start to believe that this is a banana. But it’s not,” counsels the voice. “This is an apple.”
The “Facts First” slogan “speaks to what differentiates CNN, particularly from our two primary cable-news competitors,” says Gollust. Fox News Channel presents conservative-leaning opinion in primetime and on some other programs, while MSNBC relies on progressive minded hosts in the evening. “Each of them take a point of view. They do it very well,” says Gollust. “They sometimes start with a point of view and go from there. We start with a fact.”
CNN plans other executions of the concept in a similar vein, says Gollust, and expects to use its own air as well as other networks operated by Time Warner unit Turner to get its message out. “We don’t have a separate media buy campaign for right now, but hopefully that will come in the weeks and months ahead,” she says. The campaign is expected to be CNN’s main one “for the near term,” she adds.
The spartan commercial, crafted with the ad agency Figliulo & Partners, is devoid of the usual CNN trappings. There is no “This…is CNN” delivered in the resonant tones of actor James Earl Jones, no reminder that CNN is “the most trusted name in news,” and no sign of the network’s most recent slogan, “Go there” (Gollust says it will return at some point in the future, and promos featuring Jones will still air on the network).
Launch of the ad campaign suggests that even CNN, which typically portrays itself as the least partisan of the three main cable-news networks, can be politicized. With that in mind, CNN has done three audience surveys this year, says Gollust, and its research shows that its brand remains strong. People who did not like CNN probably still feel that way, perhaps even more strongly, she says. But “the percentage of people who are looking for news and information grew, and they found they like CNN. Our numbers among Democrats and independents have gone up.”
Other media outlets have tested similar positioning. New York Times Co. hired hot ad shop Droga5 to launch a stark and resonant ad for its flagship newspaper that relied on copy lines such as “The truth is our nation is more divided than ever,” “The truth is alternative facts are lies” and “The truth is we need a full investigation of Russian ties.” The ad debuted during ABC’s broadcast of the Oscars in February.
“We see that there’s a national dialogue going on about facts and the truth,” David Rubin, senior vice president and head of brand for The New York Times, told Variety at the time. Once people understand “the role that journalism can play, they are much more likely to seek it out and to support it.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post uses a new slogan these days: “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”
CNN has been considering a new campaign for months, Gollust says. “People wanted to go out and make the point of why we do what we do, and what journalism is and why it’s important, why facts are important when people seem to play fast and loose with the truth,” she says. “It’s important to say what we stand for.”
I LOVE the Facts First Campaign. The whole Donald Trump presidency has pained me from Day 1. His stories and tales and lying have caused me so much pain. I thank people like Chris Cuomo and Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon for having a voice for me. I dream of the day that Trump is held accountable for his words and actions. I thank CNN for holding him accountable.
I believe, due to entrance of new masses from the space, mass of Earth increases. Due to which attraction of Earth increases with such bodies like Sun and other planets and comets etc. This may result in reduce of distance between Earth and other bodies.
My religion, sacred book (Quran) also give us a idea that leads me, Earth will be burned and destroyed completely and star(sun) would be very close.
The problem with CNN and many other media outlets is they go after one type of people called Conservatives and they never tell the truth about Hillary. If they would they would find things so bad on Hillary that she would be in jail. No instead they are protecting Obama’s so called legacy which there is none because if there was a legacy Trump wouldn’t have won like he did and Hillary would be indicted for murder. If they don’t want to go after the truth then let them have their false news and false reality because in the end they will end up going down, laying off many employees because many of us, to include millions of exDemocrats have see their lies and have done our own homework. We have seen what they did and well I am sorry people cannot be brainwashed and anybody who was needs to do their own research like many of us who switched from Democrat to Independence or Conservative.
CCN cannot give facts, only fack news and when you are overseas you are forced to watch their fake news as it is the only available (i guess it is made available for free) english station.
They even advertise their own fake news, we must now believe it is not them that is calling the apple a banana
And yet they still can’t print the facts! Oops, that date was a typo. Sure, we trust you
I will never believe anything ABC or CNN says again…although I haven’t for years now.
Ceci n’est pas une pomme. C’est une vidéo d’une pomme.
This is not an apple, it is a video of an apple.
“Legitimate” news networks are responsible for the fake news attacks on themselves by allowing politicians from all sides, but mostly the right, to spout fake “facts” on their newscasts without being challenged for decades.
Unfortunately it took CNN just DAYS after they started this campaign to get caught in another HUGE lie. CNN doctored video footage of Trump feeding Koi fish in Japan. CNN was of course outraged at Trumps careless nature and disrespecting the Japanese… Until a few house later when the raw footage was released. CNN took the full video and panned and zoomed in on Trump so you could not see the truth. They will always and forever be fake news. If CNN can not tell the truth about Trump feeding Fish… Then when can someone actually trust they are telling the truth? Go here to see how fake CNN is. http://bluepillsheep.com/keith-olbermann-cnn-fake-news-never-lets-facts-get-way/
I used to think that CNN was a credible News Agency, but no long do I trust them. They have been caught lying, with a straight face, so many times that I simply go to other venues to get my news. It is obvious that what ever Trump does that CNN will not only put a spin on it to make him look bad, but they it edit, splice, lie and make a video say something else. The problem is that CNN is full of corruption from the inside out and from the top to the bottom. If CNN was to be saved, it would take surgery on the cancerous part. Literally, half or more of all those who work at CNN would have to be fired. It is either this or death of the whole news organization as people simply choose to go to other venues for their news.
Whole box of fish food whole box of fish food whole box of fish food!!!
The new and Improved Fake News CNN!
Along with the rest of t e Witch hunters.
Only Fox News tells the truth from what I see and respects America and our president! Iftbey do not like it why not leave? Or shut up. It’s multiple choice.
Lol. I always respected CNN but today the last ounce of respect is gone. The editing of the koi pond video to pretend that Trump dumped the food first instead of following the lead of his guest! And then an updated article said “The move got Trump some laughs, and a smile from Abe, who actually appeared to dump out his box of food ahead of Trump.” What do you mean “appeared to dump out his box of food ahead of Trump”? There is no appear. You might as well just yell Banana, Banana, Banana!!! It is black and white. And then the other CNN fake news article about Japan building cars in the US. Look, we all get it. CNN hates the President. But you can’t have it both ways. Either you continue to stoop to this level and don’t pretend you are not calling apples bananas. Or you straighten the ship and fire anyone (which I guess is most people now) who continue to do the dishonest reporting!
CNN will not take any statement that says they are FAKE NEWS—cowards, cowards, they try to pump untrue facts into the airways and hope it sticks—CNN is hopelessly lost in their own self and trying to create silk from a pig’s ear…get a life FAKE NEWS
CNN is finished. FAKE>FAKE>FAKE
Excellent response Aoshia
If someone kept pushing FAKE at me everytime I opened my mouth or in this case broadcast.. I would find a way to be honest and truthful… CNN if you do not listen to what people are truly telling you .. then you will never understand… Do not go after the President with obvious bias .. its not helping anyone hear Facts… Do not be bias in what you report to make a party look good and neglect your social responsibility to people who need news in order to know what decisions were made by our government that affect our lives… Until you truly understand that you are in fact serving the people who have no choice but to hear third party news in a honest fashion ..then you will never not stop people calling you fake…
There were no TOP SECRET e-mails on Clinton’s server. there were 3 e-mails that were marked Confidential. The lowest of the 3 levels of security classifications.
Something significant is going to come out of the Mueller investigation before the new year. Half-wits like Sean Hannity are babbling their gibberish desperately trying to discredit Mueller. The Trump BS machine has shifted into overdrive in a preemptive attack. The almost 10 year and debunked uranium 1 deal, A desperate attempt to deflect attention away from the embarrassing reality Trump is anticipating Mueller is getting close to releasing. The only thing uniting the Republican party is their haltered of Hillary
Clinton. So we have dullards like Hannity doing CPR ON THEIR HALF BAKED CONSPIRACY THEORIES .FRANTICALLY TRYING TO FIRE UP THE WILLING SIMPLETONS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS Trump’s base. Alternate facts for an alternative reality that they continue to
sell , You can’t harbor ill will for the Trump groupies who are generally intellectually challenged . They will take this BS to heart because they want it to be true so much that it only takes minimal effort from the FAUX cheerleaders repeating the same nonsense over and over till the Trump groupies actually believe the con is true. But the dangerous
groupies are the true deplorable s who don’t care if it;s true or not, and when it isn’t, and they know it they will continue to push the BS in spite of it. the ones that give Trump a pass on absolutely anything, because like Trump, it’s all about ”winning” at any cost, The means justify the ends. tell me one thing that is too low for even Trump to say or do if he thought it would get him any closer to winning, I SUBMIT YOU CAN’T.
Let’s not forget the Democrats used the info from the dossier to get Obama and DOJ to unmask servalence of US citizens including trump. They should file a lawsuit against DNC and DOJ. Total sham and of course CNN is not mentioning that in their coverage.
They never expected Trump to win and expected no one would get caught. Kharma’s a bitch
And we are now getting more documents that the obama administration and FBI “just found” HOW can an investigation take place, 8 or 108, when the facts are hidden?
Great analogy
Yeah, funny, I worked in TV news and CNN strikes me as one of the worst. One sided, spotty reporting, ignoring stories such as the FBI documents showing The Russians paid the Clinton Foundation millions of $$$, right after Clinton OK’d the uranium sale. CNN was one of the last to report on Clintons secret server containing top secret documents, the list is nearly endless
Actually it was a Russian who sold his stake in the company 2 years prior, who donated to the Foundation. As for Uranium One, 9 separate federal departments had to sign off on the deal, and anyone of them could have vetoed it. Also, the sale was for a 20% share of ownership in the Canadian based company. It was a business deal, as in stocks/profits. Not one gram of uranium has, nor ever will allowed to leave Canada or the US and go to Russia as a part of this deal, but I know those facts don’t get the Trumpanzee base all wound up, so who is really telling truth and perpetuating the lies? No surprise it’s none other than Fox (Faux) News leading the charge. Except for their commentators,(meaning not real journalists, such as college drop out,Sean Hannity, there are a couple of professional journalists on Fox who have said there’s no story here because the facts show there is nothing there, but of course that gets the Fox crowd all riled up against them, because they, like you, want the truth to follow their narrative, and if it doesn’t, you accuse it of being fake news. Google search the quote made by the 2nd Pres. John Adams, which he used in his final address to the jury, when he successfully defended the British soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre,”Facts are stubborn things….”.
CNN, after giving HTC questions, has such a long way to go before I EVER watch or believe a word from their mouths. Period.
Spot on
Lol of course they were “plain and vanilla” during Obama’s presidency, no desire to be hard-hitting then. They’re not understanding the full meaning of fake news; it’s also attributed due to persistent spin, rhetoric, and bias. CNN isn’t still fake news, some makeup won’t change that. We’ll see how desperate they will be to get all of the facts when the next democratic president is in office. THIS is what the current look into journalism is about. People are starved of partial coverage.
CNN is doing it right. I am a retired journalist.. Much journalism today is junk. It is paid for by promoters. CNN should be followed by all journalism outlets.
Why doesn’t CNN report all the new, the are only negative with Trump, it’s OK to report with he screws up? But what of the good things?
And lets not forget Hilary,
I use to respect CNN but the way you are Trump bashing and not even covering the Clinton scandal is very disturbing.
They have put out country at serious risk selling uranium to the Russians and taking kick backs. Yet you are doing nothing about this just Trump Bashing.
Give me the old CNN that reported nothing but the facts.
Just because you don’t agree with the facts, doesn’t mean it’s Trump bashing. By the way, CNN never said anything about the countries security being at risk because they were selling uranium to the Russians. You got that from Fox News, and it’s not true, (as in fake). The deal was made years ago and the guy who donated to Clinton’s foundation did so years after he left the company. Besides, if you did any research at all, you’d know that Uranium One is a Canadian based company, and the Russia investment to get 20% ownership had to be approves by 9 different fed agencies, (including Homeland Security). Anyone of them could have vetoed it but they didn’t, why you ask? Because no Uranium from this company is allowed to leave Canada or the US, regardless of what countries have investment in it. Sorry to break the fact to you, but you won’t find them on Fox.
Sometimes rigging is just rigging. Like handing the questions to Hillary prior to a CNN debate is just….cheating and unethical.
BREAKING CNN FAKE NEWS!! President Trump responded to the CNN “Apple” campaign by stating, “that looks like a delicious Red Apple!” Many are now questioning whether President Trump was making a racist statement by not acknowledging that both Green and Yellow Apples were also delicious. As Red Apples clearly represent the majority of apples in the United States, Mr. Trump was relating Red Apples to White America, and specifically White Supremacists, and minimizing the contribution of minority Green and Yellow Apple population. Both Democrats and some Republicans (John McCain) are demanding a special counsel be formed to investigate whether President Trump has ever eaten a Green or Yellow Apple and whether the White House is buying equal numbers of Red, Green, and Yellow Apples. CNN sources close to the White House claim that they have never seen the President eat a Green or Yellow Apple, but they believe that the President shared Red Apples with the Russians during the campaign. CNN continues to investigate!
DON LEMON, DO I HAVE TO SAY MOTR ?
You stand for propaganda spoon fed to to host we used to respect. Now forced to spread the negative propaganda against anyone who voted against Hillary. Sad. I used to turn to you for unbiased news. Now is unwatchable. Particularly the race baiter, Don Lemon
Ha ha this is bull. CNN used to be respected by me, now is a race baiting organization hell bent on bringing down the country. Go back to facts instead of gotcha politics. Be journalist, instead of children.
obviously some people cannot be helped. and cnn is better at reporting truth than fox etc as they did NOT invent the term alternative facts which was used by the trump team. There is no such thing as alternative facts and anyone who would use that term is a tool of some propaganda minister. as far as bias I usually use BBC news to double check things
You mean the same BBC that actively covered up predatory child molestation by Jimmy Savile because of their ratings?
CNN = Unadulterated lies, misdirection and politicized agenda. You know how I can tell. Before the election I watch CNN for all my news. Now, I cannot stand the putrefied self righteous lies and propaganda they spread. Anchors I once respected are now pathetic mouthpieces.
It is sad.
That ad makes me feel like satan just offered me an apple. Fake news is now telling us to beware of fake news.
This is ridiculous. The commitment to “facts first’ should be a life-long principle of journalism, not a monthly campaign.
Well said.
So, now we have to endure a new unimproved version on FAKE NEWS called FAKE FACTS..!!?? As long as these politicos…..not journalists……have a HATEFUL agenda against President Trump, we won’t believe a thing they present to us..!! They have forever SOILED themselves and there’s no cleaning that up….!!
It’s great that the EVP of CNN, aka “Clinton News Network” thinks they are more relevant now than before!! LOL!!!!! Prove it… investigate Hillary and the Clinton foundation!
Right, cause the Clinton’s have never been investigated. Solid, well thought argument.
Speaking of investigations, where are Lyin’ Don’s tax returns?
Isn’t it interesting how the Clinton supporters never actually say anything good about Clinton, like, I don’t know perhaps,”She is innocent!’. Instead all they do is try to say,”Oh, Yeah! Well that guy over there did something bad too!” As if this somehow absolves the Clinton’s of their crimes.
Okay, I’ll say it: She is innocent. Eight GOP-led Congressional investigations, three FBI investigations, and they couldn’t even come up with a parking ticket.
How many more investigations must clear her before you and the rest of the Breitbart zombies admit that her “crimes” were nothing more than fiction?
i can’t watch cnn anymore after the way they covered the dem primaries. if they want to put “facts first” they should be sure to use lower thirds to clearly label which talking heads get paid by whom, because it explains every POV on the network – there are no real journalists on TV anymore.
Trump’s supporters are immune to facts and will remain so. That is one of the many reasons Trump loves the uneducated.
Your comments show just how UNEDUCATED you are, PAL..!!
Unlike the Trump faithful?
I believe CNN deserves a serious pat on the back for this promo. In fact, I’ll go so far as to call what I saw here as a public service communication instead of a promo. I would LOVE to see more of it from CNN. I don’t now, nor have I ever believed that you must ride the fence until you are sore from the splinters, for the sake of journalistic integrity. IF you see something wrong, and by god you know it’s wrong, it is VER ok for you to say something, and not concern yourself with being called bias. I think the media owes it to us all to do that much.
In other words you would prefer CNN to stay biased, producing more of those back-patting stories while the world is falling apart…is that what you’re saying? You clearly are addicted to a propaganda model of sweetened Disney-like world of fake news making.
The truth is “that the Clintons and others like them need to be investigated for their treason against America.”
10/23/17 3:14p Variety Brian Steinberg CNN Facts First Campaign
D Deaton: We already have the Facts that Trump will be tried for ”crimes against Humanity” and every Country in the World will put him on Trial. Trump has been Proven Guilty here in America of ”Crimes Against the American People!”
It’s about time CNN!
CNN, it’s about time!!! If you and other news outlets would fight for the freedom of the press the way the right fights for gun “rights” you can shut down the foolishness of this inept administration as it pertains to “fake news.”
Moderators? Sexist profanity has no business here. (It also underscores jenel’s lack of credibility, but that’s another story.)
No one has ever thought CNN was real news. Fox is right leaning, SBC, CBS, & NBC are left leaning, and CNN is a wholly owned subsidiary of the DNC the makes everything up as it goes along. CNN has been the “Clinton News Network” since 1992
Speaking of fake news… that is utter BS
Are you drunk on vodka right now, or just hungover? Or maybe it’s unfair to blame alcohol for the stupidity and willful ignorance of your post.
If PuTrumpin’s lips are moving, he’s lying.
The man occupying our White house is the consummate purveyor of fake news who sadly will say and do anything to tell his base what they want to hear. He is not in the least interested in a united country or peace on earth. It’s all about him and he feeds off the chaos he creates on a daily basis. Let The Fourth Estate continue to fight back and call him out and I would hope good outlets in every state will do the same in support of the 1st Amendment. This is a constitutional issue.