“Real News” Surrenders: CNN Fact-Checks SNL – UPDATE

by Tommy Christopher | 10:25 am, October 6th, 2009

» 7 comments

snl_cnn

There has been a battle brewing for years between the “real news” and the fake news, with poll after poll showing that more and more Americans get their news from comedy shows like “The Daily Show.” Who can forget Jon Stewart’s throwdown with the hosts of “Crossfire?“ More recently, Stewart got into a fact-fight with Bill O’Reilly (and won), and became a hero-of-the-moment to the right for pointing out the mainstream media’s abdication on the ACORN story.

Now, it seems the “real news” is acknowledging the fake news as its equal, as CNN runs a “fact check” segment dissecting a Saturday Night Live sketch: (h/t Hot Air)

While there is certainly value in fact-checking a comedy skit that is widely replayed on all of the other news networks, this is usually the purview of the more partisan blogosphere, and of filmmakers like Sarah Palin booster John Ziegler. A fine example of this comes at about the 2:30 mark in this clip, where CNN references Tina Fey’s “dead-on” impersonation of Palin, without ever mentioning its factual verisimilitude.

As a matter of fact, Saturday Night Live clips featured heavily in the 2008 Presidential campaign, but usually, the discussion centered around the larger points raised by the sketches, not a fact-by-fact analysis. One cable network even played a snippet of a sketch alongside a snippet of an actual Palin interview to show how they matched exactly. In this case, there was no attempt to clarify or provide context, but simply to laugh. Can you guess which network it was?

This is basically the other side of the coin, as they give the impression that the entire sketch used Palin’s actual interview as its script. They could have clued viewers in that the rest of the sketch did not match the interview verbatim.

By framing the segment as a fact check, CNN is providing conservatives with confirmation that the mainstream media is “in the tank” for Obama, despite evidence to the contrary. They could have accomplished the same thing by deconstructing the clip as part of a broader examination of the way comedy fiction becomes popular fact.

Perhaps CNN isn’t being inconsistent, but rather instituting a new policy. If that’s the case, I can’t wait to see their first fact-check of “Family Guy.”

Update – Via email John Ziegler offered the following comment:

“This CNN “bit” is far more hilarious than the SNL skit. The funniest part (other than them doing the piece to begin with) is that CNN claims that parts of the SNL sketch couldn’t be further from the truth and yet I can’t find one thing that they cam close to proving was totally untrue. I am still waiting for CNN to “fact check” Tina Fey implying Sarah Palin said she could see Russia from her “house,” which 87% of Obama voters and many members of the news media (including Barbara Walters) wrongly believed she did. This is simply Media Malpractice in the extreme. I wish I could say I am surprised, but I am not.”

Zakk

This is pretty standard. I remember when they did a fact check on SNL for every Bush joke. Or the Palin jokes, remember that?… what? No?

I’m sure they did, I’m sure they did because CNN is right down the middle.

I don’t think this proves they are or have been in the tank for Obama.

Pathetic.
ImNotBlue

Tommy, I’m going to ask for clarification on this one line:

A fine example of this comes at about the 2:30 mark in this clip, where CNN references Tina Fey’s “dead-on” impersonation of Palin, without ever mentioning its factual verisimilitude.

I read your piece, but can’t get past this line to comment on the rest of it… every time I try to think about the whole of what you wrote, I come back to this line… and am confused.

verisimilitude –noun
1. the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: The play lacked verisimilitude.
2. something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.

So how was Tina Fey’s impression a “factual semblance of the truth?” I don’t get what you’re saying… and it’s making my brain itch. ;)
ingenieux

ImNotBlue – yeah, when you phrase it like that my brain itches too :)
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chuck-Steele/1147844375 Chuck Steele

Next thing you know, CNN is going to go after the Obama administration’s foray into the UN’s Human Rights Commission and Obama’s calling for limits on freedom of expression.
I thought that the First Amendment and our free speech was one of our most cherished rights. Or is it a cherished right only if it does not adversely effect Obama?
Are we opposed to the rest of the world population having the same rights.
Magister

I don’t take it so much as CNN being partisan.
It’s more like they think, the audience is made-up of idiots.
libra blue

If CNN spent as much time fact checking Obama’s deceptive statements as they did checking this SNL skit maybe they could be considered a legitimate news organization again.

IMO, the skit was rather boring and poorly executed.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

Ziegler couldn’t be more right. To this day, most people believe Sarah Palin said she could see Russia from her house. Tina Fey is the only one her ever said that. Palin said, “you can see Russia from Alaska” — which you can. To this day, that line from Tina Fey is attributed to Palin and used to show how stupid she is. I don’t remember CNN fact checking a damn thing during the election. While I have no proof, it’s very likely that someone from The White House asked CNN to do the fact-check on SNL.

Also, we don’t need “confirmation” the media is in the tank for Obama. All it takes is a working set of eyes and ears to know that. It’s not even a debatable issue at this point — it just is. Anyone still in denial about that is likely part of the problem. I’m not even complaining about it anymore, because it’s just a fact of life that will never change. However, it’s important to point out the double standard whenever possible.