The CNN Syndrome

Those who watch networks like CNN and MSNOW (formerly MSNBC) or ABC’s gal gabfest “The View” or “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, suffer from a modern-day version of The Stockholm Syndrome. The latter two ABC shows masquerade as entertainment/talk programs but in actuality serve as a platform for non-stop bashing of the President. The Stockholm Syndrome is a disorder named after a group of bank hostages, who after being held for a number days, actually defended their captors. It is characterized by a tendency to bond with and develop of psychological belief that everything one hears is the gospel truth. This a serious condition affecting the pursuit of honest national news reportage.

Modern news and entertainment programs do more than report and comment on events, they often turn them into a hostile atmosphere. These media outlets can make the world and politicians seemingly more dangerous than they actually are. This pattern is “The CNN Syndrome” and reflects the way nonstop, sensationalized news transforms events into a constant sense of crisis or scandal. The result is not a better-informed audience, but a more anxious, reactive, and distrustful public.

The same dynamic is especially visible in coverage of Donald Trump, where political reporting often becomes a cycle of outrage, alarm, and counterattack. Critics argue that the legacy corporate media Trump coverage has frequently emphasizes legal battles, inflammatory statements, democratic breakdown, and personal confrontation. Some of that scrutiny is part of journalism’s responsibility to examine those in power, but the presentation can still become sensational when every development is treated as a national emergency.

Natalie Harp, a White House aide is becoming a household name due to a feeding frenzy by liberal media stemming from a comment by Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga). He is running for re-election in this year’s midterms. In a speech over the weekend, a jab he made at President Trump went viral after he heavily suggested the President was having an inappropriate relationship with his personal aide, Ms. Harp. Ossoff claimed Trump would rather "build a ballroom and travel with Natalie" than do his job as President. A bone cancer survivor, Harp has received overwhelming coverage on cable news and was subject to derision by Rosie O’Donnel subbing for Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night show.

 Since Monday, Harp’s name has been mentioned at least 86 times on MSNOW and at least a 132 times on CNN in the same period, according to media monitoring source Grabien. The insinuation about alleged salacious behavior is unfounded with no basis in fact or source. It is designed to hurt Trump and pump-up dwindling ratings. Was there ever this kind of reportage about Biden’s descent into a cognitive crises? The media was too busy asking him about his favorite ice cream flavor. Remember?

 The legacy media prejudice is not unintentional misstatements. It’s journalists or entertainers telling you something that is not true and doing that without a shred of remorse. Corporate progressive media will ignore reports that picture President Trump or any Republican in a positive light. When was the last time viewer’s saw anything negative about the Democrats or their progressive movement? Furthermore, they don’t care how their malicious coverage of Presidential aide Natalie Harp affects her or her family.

For viewers who already feel politically threatened, this style of sensationalist coverage may intensify resentment rather than deepen understanding. The problem is not simply whether the reporting is favorable or unfavorable to Trump, but whether the constant framing of his Presidency as an ongoing crisis that keeps the viewers anxious, divided, and emotionally engaged.

 The CNN Syndrome is ultimately a warning about what happens when news becomes a permanent state of sensational coverage. When every crime, crisis, political conflict or malicious gossip is presented as “breaking news”, people do not experience the world as a set of problems that can be understood and addressed.

 A healthy public needs journalism that investigates power and reports danger honestly. But it also needs context, proportion, and restraint. Without those qualities, the legacy media stops reporting reality and instead becomes just another supermarket tabloid with alien landings on their cover.

 The challenge is not simply to reject CNN or any one source, but to recognize the habits of clearly biased media wherever they appear. Viewers must learn to ask whether a story is informing them or merely alarming them. Journalists must remember that public trust depends not only on reporting what is dramatic, but on explaining what is true, relevant, and proportionate.

Then the Nation would have the “The Truth Syndrome” to deal with.  Refreshing.