From Trusted Global News to Chicken Noodle News

A little meat and lots of broth – diluted and modified reporting
CNN’s first broadcast: June 1, 1980

Bernard Shaw, CNN’s first chief anchor, was widely recognized for his authoritative presence and coverage of major breaking news.

Bernard Shaw was CNN’s first chief anchor. He was widely recognized for his authoritative presence and coverage of major breaking news.

Mr. Shaw joined CNN at its launch in 1980. He served as the network’s lead anchor for over two decades, covering historic events such as the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan, the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, and the Gulf War live from Baghdad in 1991.

Shaw was celebrated for his calm demeanor under pressure and his commitment to journalistic integrity, helping to establish CNN’s credibility as a global news source. His relaxed, authoritative voice was heard worldwide as he famously reported, “The skies of Baghdad are being illuminated.” At the same time, he and his team took cover under desks and beds to stay on the air amid the bombing.

See how the Gulf War began: ‘The skies over Baghdad have been illuminated’

Why did CNN swing so far to the left?

Leadership and Editorial Choices: Leadership under Jeff Zucker encouraged a more opinionated and emotional style of reporting, particularly during the Trump administration, which contributed to a perception and reality of a leftward shift. Shifts in editorial tone and programming, especially in primetime, have also contributed to this trend.

CNN is currently rated “Lean Left” and “Skews Left” by primary media bias evaluators, placing it to the left of center but not as far left as MSNBC, and notably to the left of Fox News, which is rated “Lean Right” and “Skews Right. Here’s how CNN compares to other major networks:

Network	AllSides Bias Rating	Ad Fontes Bias Score	General Perception
CNN	Lean Left	Skews Left	Most polarizing, seen as liberal
MSNBC	Left	Further Left	Most likely to be viewed as liberal
Fox News	Lean Right/Right	Right	Most likely to be viewed as conservative
NewsNation	Center	Center	Most centrist of major cable news

CNN is considered more centrist than MSNBC but more left-leaning than NewsNation or Fox News. It is also the most politically polarizing network in terms of trust between Democrats and Republicans.

The main criticisms of CNN’s bias

• Perceived Favoritism Toward Democrats
• Negative Coverage of Conservative Figures
• Accusations of Centrist or Establishment Bias
• Use of Anonymous Sources
• Editorial Choices and Sensationalism
• Handling of International Coverage
• Audience Partisanship

These criticisms come from both the political right, which sees CNN as overly liberal or partisan, and progressives, who sometimes view the network as too centrist or establishment-oriented.

In Conclusion

I really enjoyed watching all the news channels years ago: CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, and CBS.

I sincerely hope these news icons return to their core mission- Reporting the News.

Also see: Broadcast media contributing to their demise.

*About the Chicken Noodle News soup can is an editorial graphic parody generated by https://labs.google/fx/