CNN's John King is a normally steady hand at reporting, but this night he took a wrong turn into a discussion for which he could not be objective, but uses the cover of reporting objectivity to make an emotional and disagreeable point.
He did this in the AC/360 Blog post he wrote, and I've linked to here.
This is the response I wrote there:
I think the main problem is that the "process" of hearing what Rev. Wright says has been so distorted that some people -- not all -- tune out what he's saying after the original sound-bites have been aired.
I think both John King and Merle Black are very guilty of this "myopic hearing" if you will. John, for actively seeking out someone who's Black to do John's talking for him, and Mr. Black, who's the willing participant in that process. This covers up the real need to hear not just what Rev. Wright has said, but who also said it.
Let's take 9-11: anyone who looks at our history without blinders knows that Somalia was the birthplace of hostilities that led to the World Trade Center attack. It was also a "white" (whatever that really means) Ambassador who said that America's chickens came home to roost.
Rev. Wright said that the ambassador made that statement -- but that fact has been ignored by people like John King, who could be accused of fanning the flame of racism for the sake of ratings and using someone African American to make a statement King himself personally believes. That's not CNN's roll. Not at all.
And John King should be more of a professional journalist, and not a pr rabble rouser. He -- and CNN -- can do better.
