Since word broke early Thursday morning that a black police officer in Baltimore was shot in the head and then died, CNN has conspicuously buried the story, in contrast with the liberal news network's history of giving attention to black suspects who are killed or roughed up by police officers.
CNN's most prominent morning show, New Day, which runs between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. ET, has only run two briefs just barely totaling a minute so far. But on Saturday morning, New Day Saturday ran a full three-minute report on a corrupt police officer in Chicago who is causing the city to have to consider releasing some prisoners whom he might have framed.
Additionally, according to a Nexis search, the only other show on the 24-hour news network that has mentioned the Baltimore officer who was murdered is the Early Start show which runs between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. ET. Thursday morning, Early Start ran four briefs, each of which was about 50 seconds in length, and, on Friday, the show ran three briefs, each of which was just under 30 seconds in length.
As for New Day, the show only gave the Baltimore story 19 seconds at 6:32 a.m. ET on Thursday, and then the show lost interest until it was brought up again shortly past 6:30 a.m. ET on New Day Saturday, when the show included a 10-second plug followed by a 32-second brief.
NBC's Today show and the NBC Nightly News both ran full reports on Thursday. The CBS Evening News ran a brief on Thursday and a full report on Friday, while CBS This Morning ran a brief on Friday.
ABC's World News Tonight ran briefs on Thursday and Friday, and ABC's Good Morning America ran a full report on Saturday that also dealt with the murder of another police officer in Pittsburgh.
FNC's Fox and Friends ran briefs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning, and, on Saturday, devoted a three-and-a-half-minute segment to the killings in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, with former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino giving commentary.
Below are complete transcripts of the relevant stories from the Thursday, November 16, New Day, and the November 18 New Day Saturday:
#Thursday, November 16:
6:32 a.m. ET
ALISYN CAMEROTA: A manhunt is under way after a Baltimore homicide detective was shot in the head. The 18-year veteran of the force was conducting a followup investigation when he approached a suspicious man who opened fire. The unidentified detective remains in grave condition. He is in the ICU on life support, we're told, his wife and two children by his side.
(...)
Saturday, November 18:
6:36 a.m. ET
CHRISTI PAUL (before commercial break): There is a desperate search for answers this morning, particularly in Baltimore here, because officials are upping the ante for any clues about who murdered a Baltimore police detective.
(..)
6:41 a.m. ET
VICTOR BLACKWELL: The reward to help catch a cop killer in Baltimore is now up to $200,000 -- more than $200,000. Authorities are desperate for some information in the killing of Baltimore police detective Sean Suiter. Suiter was investigating a murder scene Wednesday when he was shot in the head.
The police are struggling to find the circumstances surrounding his death. The Baltimore police commissioner says the officer's service weapon was the only gun recovered there, and it had been discharged more than once. Evidence shows the shooter might have been injured.
