CNNs false neutrality

I have another example of media mockery to criticize. I would like to enter into question an article posted on CNN.com written by Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina. The article is a piece criticizing the new economic stimulus plan. The key problem with this article that I would like to point out is a form of fake transparency used by the website. At the beginning of the article, it is noted that the article is written by Mark Sanford, and at the end, there is a note that says, "The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Sanford." This is a fake attempt to look transparent while pushing the opinion of Governor Sanford, and still being able to later deny approving of his opinion. Smith says that transparency is an excellent part of journalism, but if CNN really doesn't share in Governor Sanford's opinion, then why would they print the story?

In addition to this confusion of opinion, the article itself has some strange discrepancies. For example, Sanford actually criticizes a part of the bill that doesn't exist. How can he criticize something that some people only talked about? He then goes on to criticize the New Deal saying that it never worked. This is something that can be just stated. There has been arguments for decades about what really brought us out of the Great Depression, and he just off hand declares that everyone knows that it was unaffective.

This kind of false honesty and off hand assumption of opinions is pretty typical of any article. It is important that we can identify things like this.

To read the story yourself go to:http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/13/sanford.economy/index.html