Who Can We Trust?

This past week has been a very difficult week for me in that I discovered that I might not be able to trust my favorite news source any longer. That’s right, I often watch the Cable News Network because they claim to be  “the most trusted name in news.” Well, not according to a news article I read by Ryan Saavedra, an undercover agent from Project Veritas who interviewed CNN’s Technical Director, Charlie Chester about a variety of issues happening in America. And not knowing the true identity of who he was being interviewed by, Charlie Chester spilled the beans on many of their deceptive news reporting tactics.

For example, on Black Lives Matter and hate crimes, Chester said:

“I was trying to do some research on the Asian hate, like the people [who] are getting attacked and whatnot. A bunch of black men have been attacking Asians. I’m like ‘What are you doing? Like, we [CNN] are trying to help BLM.’”

“The optics of that are not good. These [are] little things that are enough to set back movements, because the far [right] will start to latch on and create stories like ‘criminalizing an entire people,’ you know, just easier headlines that way, I guess.”

On having a predetermined agenda to cover climate change and to use “fear” to sell it, Chester said:

“So, our next thing is going to be climate change awareness.”

“I think there’s a COVID fatigue. So, like whenever a new story comes up, they’re [CNN’s] going to latch onto it. They’ve already announced in our office that once the public is — will be open to it — we’re going to start focusing mainly on climate.”

“I have a feeling that it’s going to be like, constantly showing videos of decline in ice, and weather warming up, and like the effects it’s having on the economy–”

“Climate change is the next “pandemic-like story that we’ll beat to death, but that one’s got longevity. You know what I mean? Like there’s a definitive ending to the pandemic. It’ll taper off to a point that it’s not a problem anymore. Climate change can take years, so they’ll [CNN will] probably be able to milk that quite a bit.”

“Be prepared, it’s coming. Climate change is going to be the next COVID thing for CNN.”

When asked if CNN was going to use “fear” to push their agenda, Chester said, “Yeah. Fear sells.”

And in another Project Veritas released this week, Chester said:

“Any reporter on CNN — what they’re actually doing is they’re telling the person what to say… It’s always like leading them in a direction before they even open their mouths. The only people that we [CNN] will let on the air, for the most part, are people that have a proven track record of taking the bait.”

“I think there’s an art to manipulation…Inflection, saying things twice — there’s little subtleties to how to manipulate people…I mean, it’s enough to change the world, you know?”

Well, if you’re like me, I’m sure you’re heartbroken and outraged to discover that “the most trusted name in news” is intentionally trying to manipulate you and me. Very bad! Very bad!

And yet in our staff meeting this past Tuesday, we learned that all of us are guilty of manipulating each other in action and in the way we talk to each other.  God created humanity with four basic temperaments, and when operating in their weaknesses, Sanguines manipulate with charm and flattery, Cholerics manipulate with tone and volume, Melacholics manipulate with moods and silence, and Phlegmatics manipulate with procrastination and stubbornness (Trust me, you’ll have to take the course in order to understand).

May it not be so with you and me that we would intentionally manipulate one another with our words or actions, but rather may you and I change the world by always speaking the truth in love and saying only that what is helpful for building each other up according to their needs.

No more CNN, now only following Jesus, the most trusted name above all names,

Mike Altena

 

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