MoveOn's Panic-Stricken E-Mail Campaign: "Stop CNN From Becoming Fox News”

The appropriately named Noah T. Winer has sent an e-mail to his MoveOn.Org Media Action team urging them to fulminate against CNN's plans to use conservative radio host Glenn Beck, complete with the panic-stricken headline "Stop CNN from Becoming Fox News." Winer pleads:

We recently alerted you to CNN's decision to hire right-winger Bill Bennett as a talking head. Yesterday, it got even worse: CNN Headline News announced plans to attract Fox News viewers by giving an hour of airtime every day to right-wing talk radio host Glenn Beck.

Variety magazine reports CNN "will look to build Beck into the type of TV personality that could siphon viewers from Bill O'Reilly, Joe Scarborough and other conservative hosts." There's not a single progressive host on CNN. Why is CNN trying to imitate Fox News? CNN's president thinks progressives don't really care, saying "they don't get too worked up about anything."

This isn't just a minor misstep by CNN—they are caving to years of pressure from the right-wing. CNN executives are acting as accomplices in the right-wing's war on journalism. It's time for us to strike back—hard.

Please call CNN right away.

Say no to CNN hiring right-wing pundit Glenn Beck and no to CNN trying to become a Fox News clone.

Winer then adds the controversial-quotation run-down from their finicky "friends" at Media Matters for America, who always seem to be first to protest a conservative being added to a TV lineup anywhere. They conclude: "Progressives have no voice on CNN. And hiring Glenn Beck as a full-time host under any circumstances is unacceptable. CNN needs to hear from you—please call now." They give a number for CNN Vice President Jack Womack. Why don't they just protest "Put Crossfire back on so we can get our daily dose of Carville and Begala"?