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CNN Continues to Surge Thanks to Crises in Japan, Libya; Did MSNBC Drop the Ball?

Mar 23, 2011  •  Post A Comment

The events in Japan and Libya have helped boost CNN’s ratings and its standing among the cable news networks, which comes at the expense of MSNBC, reports Bill Carter in The New York Times. MSNBC is now in third place because of CNN’s bump, the story says.

CNN is even beating Fox News, the long-standing leader among the news networks, with its continuing weekend coverage of the international crises, the story points out.

MSNBC has stuck to its weekend programming of recorded programs, mostly about problems in prisons, which has led to the network drawing one-third as many viewers as CNN.

MSNBC "lost a great opportunity to set themselves out as one of the few places people can get breaking news. When you are near a nuclear meltdown, I can’t imagine a decision to go with your regular programming at that point," said Judy Muller, an associate professor of journalism at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

 

3 Comments

  1. CNN is at its best when covering international events. Its Prime Time Star – Anderson Cooper is a real reporter and does great work in the field. Fox is tied down by being in first place and needing to run its regular programming to hold its lead. None of its Prime TIme Stars can do what Cooper does. They have to rely on Shep Smith. CNN has the flexibility and resources to go on the scene in Japan and the Middles East and it was tremendous television.

  2. CNN is at its best when covering international events. Its Prime Time Star – Anderson Cooper is a real reporter and does great work in the field. Fox is tied down by being in first place and needing to run its regular programming to hold its lead. None of its Prime TIme Stars can do what Cooper does. They have to rely on Shep Smith. CNN has the flexibility and resources to go on the scene in Japan and the Middles East and it was tremendous television.

  3. head of msnbc has his head up his rear…for a looong looong time. comcast will dump him soon.

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