UncoverDC reported yesterday on Project Veritas' undercover investigation video release of CNN Technical Director Charlie Chester admitting to propagandistic bias in favor of the Democratic Party generally and to remove Trump from office.
Part 2 was released yesterday, a continuation in which Chester claims that CNN, who calls itself ‘The Most Trusted Name in News,’ intentionally hyped Covid for ratings, using the death toll numbers to entice viewers on direct instruction from the head of the network’s “special red phone.” In characterizing a pervasive “problem,” Chester shares an example of an internal dialogue he might find himself in. “Let’s make it higher, like, why isn’t it high enough here today, like, it would make our point better if it was higher.” The implication is that he is not alone in this mindset among his colleagues at CNN.
The tapes confirm suspicions as to how a propaganda outlet is created and operates when he talks about the on-air personalities at his network and their ability to elicit responses that fit a pre-selected narrative: “Any reporter on CNN, what they’re actually doing is they’re telling the person what to say… like leading them in a direction before they even open their mouths…only people that we will let on the air…are people that have a proven track record of taking the bait.”
It’s difficult to overstate the magnitude of these releases or predict how it will affect CNN. Several conservatives are among those speaking out about #ExposeCNN: Real Clear Politics’ Tom Bevan calls it: “An ongoing disaster for CNN;” former President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. stated that CNN has “No qualms about using fear and propaganda to achieve [their] goals” of “Electing Democrats and increasing their ratings, so they get more ad revenue;” and Charlie Kirk wrote “CNN cheered for higher China Virus death rates for ratings… This is pure evil;” Turning Point USA Ambassador and PragerU influencer, Isabella Riley, said in a video she published on Twitter, “After the footage released by Project Veritas today and yesterday, there is absolutely no way any sane person on this earth could say, ‘@CNN is an objective news source.'”
The impact of this latest Veritas release depends in part on whether the revelations reach inside the legacy media viewer bubble. Still, those who view the release will rationally conclude that these techniques are not unique to CNN. It may also depend on whether O’Keefe and his #VeritasArmy of supporters are successful in pressuring CNN to respond to the tape; he has publically asked CNN’s Brian Stelter to explain Chester’s comments and posted a recording of himself being hung up on by Oliver Darcy when requesting a response.
Project Veritas #CNNExposed has now released Part 3, in which Chester says CNN is trying to protect Black Lives Matter’s race narrative. In a segment, he describes a practice of discarding information that doesn’t fit the desirable optic. He uses an example of when he researched violent attacks on Asians but found numerous instances of Asians being attacked by blacks, which would not fit the BLM narrative. The selective bias is justified by rationalizing that it allays fears that conservatives might “criminaliz[e] an entire people.” He says he notices headlines also “lump people together” instead of “focusing on the individual.” He compares these so-called “easier headlines” to Trump’s China Virus label, which he says “puts so much blame on an entire group of people as opposed to… a few careless individuals.”
When asked about a hypothetical story about a black shooter vs. a story about a white shooter, he says, “I haven’t seen anything about focusing on the color of people’s skin that aren’t white,” and alludes to this bias being rationalized by what viewers will “latch on to.”
“Is CNN the ‘Most Trusted Name in News?” says O’Keefe, “Their own employees are telling us that their not—but the same employees that tell us that they're not are also participating in the propaganda that they’re ashamed of—and that is perhaps the greatest tragedy of all.”
Before alluding to moneyed influence in narrative choices, Chester says, “…You can shape an entire people’s perception about anything on how you do it. Right? .. By forcing a story, to help… Your platform, you know?”
Shortly after releasing this third installment on #ExposeCNN, James O'Keefe's Twitter account was suspended. In response, O'Keefe made a statement via Telegram:
"I am suing Twitter for defamation because they said I, James O'Keefe, 'operated fake accounts.' This is false, this is defamatory, and they will pay. Section 230 may have protected them before, but it will not protect them from me. The complaint will be filed Monday."
