CNN vs CNN

Having spent the better part of a week in China within the last month and two weeks in India a couple of years back, I had opportunity to watch CNN International. Now let me say...in both countries I found CNN's International broadcast to be a robust and informative dialogue filled with important International news... delivered by high integrity professional journalists that informed me about news and current events that mattered to me as an American citizen feeling a bit isolated in a foreign country. I valued that broadcast greatly.

Now I compare that news gathering experience to the latest cycle delivered on CNN's US broadcast with Wolf Blitzer... asking us before going to commercial to "stay tuned" because he had" breaking news about Sarah Palin's potential run for the Presidency".

Let me first state that at no time have I seed Wolf Blitzer and his "breaking news " on the CNN broadcasts in China, India or Europe. So... my question to the American Cable media is simple ....Really? Are Wolf, Shawn, Bill and Chris the best you can do? It is clear from my travels that your parent companies know the difference between what you do every night and real journalism which delivers the people of the world information they need and are interested in!

All of which leaves me feeling...somebody please save me from the American Cable Media stations and the Jersey Shore mentality of their audiences!

Coming out of President Obama's speech yesterday on the "Arab Spring" in the middle East and North Africa, I find it annoying that the only thing the media and loyal opposition seem to want to comment on is the perennial mess between Israel and The Palestinians. In my lifetime....this problem has been a joke with neither side able to keep an agreement in good faith. It by far...has less promise of success than the other Arab states that are experiencing unrest.

I thought the speech comprehensive and thorough, as he laid out part of his world view.

Some key phrases included "American values squarely align with this movement" and "real reform will not just come from the ballot box" and "the US was founded on the principals that the people should govern themselves"

Although we feel we have historical license to instruct the middle east on these principals, citizen participation and aptitude to act on them remains elusive here at home.