CNN’s video usage ‘denigrates a tragedy’

Inside Cable News has an interesting write up on CNN’s coverage of the MH17 tragedy, specifically how CNN is using visuals from the crash site.

“I was watching CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow and something was a bit off about what I was seeing. Both Harlow and Sciutto had video wall backgrounds but they were both all gray. It took me a few minutes to realize what it was. It was video of the MH17 crash site looping over and over and over. In fact it wasn’t just being displayed in the video walls behind them but it was being displayed as a border when CNN went to a two shot.”

CNN’s special breaking news package for the MH17 coverage incorporates footage from the crash site, question is did it go too far?

ICN asks if CNN would have done the same thing for other events, say 9/11 or the Challenger explosion?

“It is how CNN is using that footage…it’s being used as the equivalent of decorative art…that’s the problem… It’s a mood setter. Nothing more. It’s gratuitous and despicable.”

Unforunately, CNN is in the business of making money.

Well, times of tragedy are times of money and CNN is going all out on the breaking news story of the summer. This is their Super Bowl, it’s the news of the moment and they are putting as many resources and special coverage tools in place as they can (4 hours after the crash they had already fired up the virtual studio with a 3D plane and Buk missile launcher).

We’ll see what’s next…

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