CNN guest's appearance goes viral as he delivers hysterical rant on the need to control unfettered free speech



Journalist and author David Zurawik appeared on Sunday's broadcast of "Reliable Sources," where he went into panic mode as he delivered frenzied remarks on what he said is the necessity of being able to moderate free speech.

Sunday's roundtable discussion on the CNN show featured host Brian Stelter, reporter April Ryan, Zurawik, and more.

What are the details?

During the episode, Zurawik addressed Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition, which he said is nothing short of "dangerous."

"When we focus on the personality of people like Elon Musk ... there's a bigger problem about how we are going to control the channels of communication in this country," he warned. "In 1927, we had the Radio Act. In 1934, the Communications Act. Congress stepped in; we made rules."

The Federal Communications Commission, he added, "wasn't great, but it is still regulating the broadcast industry."

"We gave over our what amounts to our airwaves, or our internet waves, to Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, and we are in so much trouble," Zurawik insisted. "Because those guys believe in making money. We've already seen that with the 2016 election and Zuckerberg when he was taking rubles for ads from Russia and saying, 'Oh I think it's crazy to think that they had any influence on this election.'"

Musk, he added, is the much the same — and that the United States has quickly descended into chaos following the election of former President Donald Trump.

"This is dangerous!" he shouted. "We can't think any more in this country — we don't have people ... in Congress who can make regulations that can make it work. I think we can look to the Western countries in Europe for how they are trying to limit it, but you need — you need — controls on this. You need regulation. You cannot let these guys control discourse in this country or we are headed to hell. We are there. Trump opened the gates of hell and now they’re chasing us down."

CNN's David Zurawik: "Dangerous" with Elon Musk buying Twitter, we need to look to Europe.\n\n"You need regulation. You cannot let these guys control discourse in this country or we are headed to hell. We are there. Trump opened the gates of hell and now they\u2019re chasing us down."pic.twitter.com/QubyKZwVCQ
— Julio Rosas (@Julio Rosas) 1651419625

CNN panel refuses to admit CNN has lost trust over the network's handling of Chris Cuomo scandal



A panel assembled Sunday on CNN's media show "Reliable Sources" refused to say whether CNN has lost trust over its handling of the Chris Cuomo scandal.

What is the background?

CNN announced Saturday that Cuomo, a primetime network anchor, had been terminated after new documents from the New York Attorney General's Office revealed Cuomo helped his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), navigate multiple sexual misconduct allegations in a more involved manner than he ever admitted or disclosed.

The network also said "additional information" had come to light, which solidified CNN's decision to fire Cuomo. That new information was most likely new sexual misconduct allegations against Cuomo.

What happened Sunday?

CNN host Brian Stelter hosted a panel of "non-CNN voices" to discuss the fallout of the Chris Cuomo scandal in an effort "to be as transparent as we can with you at home."

One of the panelists, Axios reporter Sara Fischer, actually worked at CNN as a production and news assistant in 2013. Stelter did not disclose Fischer's previous employment at CNN.

Meanwhile, another panelist, Goucher College media studies professor David Zurawik, refused to say whether CNN lost trust over its handling of the controversy.

"Has CNN lost trust as a result of this?" Stelter asked.

"I don’t know,” Zurawik replied. “That’s hard to say if CNN has lost trust."

No one on the panel objected to advance the possibility that CNN has lost trust. Instead, Zurawik went on to make broad claims about the media, and explained why he believes people may not generally trust the media.

"We’ve really lost sense of media ethics,” Zurawik said. “In our profession, especially in the last few years, you have to ask yourself first — and this is the mistake Chris Cuomo made, and in some sense I think CNN made this same mistake in not forcing him to ask it — 'Who do you work for? Who do you serve?' Obviously you serve and work for your employer or you don’t get a check. But beyond that, who are you talking to? You should be serving the public. That oftentimes puts you at odds with people in power."

Then Zurawik seemingly downplayed Cuomo's serious breach of journalism ethics, claiming the fact that he was serving his brother over his audience, "complicates" the situation.

Stelter used the opportunity to also downplay Cuomo's actions.

"See, that's the thing. I think this is a once in a lifetime ethical dilemma," Stelter said, explaining that he wasn't necessary defending the situation, but was simply noting that it was "unique."

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