New York Times media writer, Brian Stelter, confirms that Michael Ware remains with CNN.
"Michael Ware has spent so much of the past nine years reporting from war zones for Time magazine and CNN that it’s almost like he’s a citizen of Iraq.
That experience, he says, has left him with post-traumatic stress disorder. In an interview on Thursday, he said that CNN wanted him back in the field before he felt he was ready and, as a result, he was under the impression that he had been released from his contract. “I required further time off than I think CNN was able to give,” he said.
But there may have been a misunderstanding. On Friday CNN said that Mr. Ware is still employed by the network, disputing an unsourced report on a blog that he was no longer working for the network and that the disorder was a reason.
“We will continue to support him during this time,” the cable news network said in a statement. The network said it was “rightly regarded as an industry leader” in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and that it offers support services to past and present employees.
Mr. Ware’s agent, Richard Leibner, said, “They are clearly standing with him now.”"
"Thank-you, CNN, for the honor to serve, and thank-you all for watching"...
Christiane Amanpour has signed off from her daily CNN International program for the final time, and, at the same time, ended a remarkable 27 year career at CNN.
Below is video of Christiane's final thoughts, and a brief retrospective of her CNN career, from the close of her final show.
Flashback: On March 19 - a day after the news that she was leaving CNN broke - Christiane reflected on her time at the network with the following note to her colleagues.
"To My Family at CNN,
I am stunned and humbled by all your words and thoughts and good wishes. I have been bobbing on a tide of poignancy, enveloped in the amazing outpouring of love and affection from my friends and family at the place I call home. For nearly 27 years it has not just been a privilege but an unparalleled pleasure...a great, rollicking, earth-shaking, world-shaping adventure...to be part of CNN, which is not just a company but an institution that has changed the very way we live.
From the beginning the excitement was overwhelming as Ted Turner strode around declaring "I WAS CABLE BEFORE CABLE WAS COOL." And then boldly exhorted the establishment arrayed against him to "Lead Follow or get out of the way". He led, we followed and the rest had to get out of the way! From being shut out of the first White House stake-outs 30 years ago to the barely met payrolls, CNN and all of us, the army of true believers, did what no-one ever imagined one organization could do, pioneering, transformative, indispensable to this day.
From the very first day I walked into the newsroom at Techwood, September 1983, I have been proud to climb the ladder CNN put in front of me, every hard-won step of the way. Not just proud, but thrilled to bits. I feel truly fortunate to belong to the most supportive, amazing, dedicated and inspiring people from the leadership to my colleagues in every corner of the company. I never get tired of recalling the heart-stopping events we have all covered and brought to the world, from the Wall coming down, to the first Gulf War. To Bosnia where I became myself as a reporter, where I learned how to use my voice, where I learned what it means to have someone's back and for them to have yours; where we risked our lives...and sometimes our sanity...forged the closest of bonds and never never wavered from the mission: to report the truth, no matter how difficult and dangerous; to be the eyes and ears of our viewers in the United States and around the world, to tell people's stories and be a constructive and positive force in society, a force that tries to make a difference.
That's what CNN is, that is what I am so proud to have been part of, proud to have helped shape. And happy to have had so much fun all along the way.
That's the mission I have been trying to continue with my phenomenal team at our eponymously named program here. So why am I leaving? In my heart I am not. This has been the most difficult of decisions. I am simply taking the next challenging and difficult but exciting step. I believe more than anything that knowledge and familiarity with important international news and events abroad are fundamental to Americans today. This rare chance to take international news to a broader base here in the United States is one that I felt I could not turn down. I will take everything I have learned, and loved, here at CNN and put it into action!
And the network I love will have you, your hard work, your heart, your vision and your faith. Keep doing CNN's important work, without which the world would most definitely be a poorer place. Never forget who you are. Never forget what CNN is. Never forget how we all together changed the world.
From the bottom of my heart I thank you all, and I say only "au revoir," not goodbye
Christiane"
Ms. Amanpour now heads to a post as host of This Week on ABC, beginning in August.
THIRD AND FINAL UK ELECTION LEADERS’ DEBATE AIRS LIVE ON CNN INTERNATIONAL AND CNN.COM TODAY AT 3.30P ET
CNN Press Release - ECONOMY-FOCUSED DEBATE WILL ALSO AIR LIVE ON CNN.COM LIVE
With a week before the UK goes to the polls, the British economy is at the forefront of the final discussion among leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The third and final 90-minute debate will be broadcast live on CNN International and CNN.com/Live today at 3.30p ET.
The network has also enlisted an expert panel to give perspective on the outcome of the economy-focused debate. Paul Marshall, who co-founded one of Europe's most high-profile hedge funds, Marshall Wace, in 1998; Andrew Roberts, an award-winning author, historian and contributor to many British papers; and Will Hutton, one of today's pre-eminent economics commentators, will join presenter Becky Anderson at 5p ET during a specially extended ‘Connect The World’.
For complete coverage of the UK election – including insight from CNN’s correspondents around the world – go to www.cnn.com/ukelection and follow the site on Twitter at twitter.com/ukelectioncnn.
About The Panel:
Will Hutton, Executive Vice Chair, The Work Foundation
Regularly called on to advise senior political and business figures and comment in the national and international media, Will is today one of the pre-eminent economics commentators in the country.
He began his career in the City, as a stockbroker and investment analyst before moving to the BBC, where he worked both on radio, as a producer and reporter, and on TV as economics correspondent for flagship current affairs programme Newsnight. Prior to joining The Work Foundation, Will spent four years as editor-in-chief of the Observer, for which he continues to write a weekly column. He also regularly contributes to the Guardian and the Financial Times.
Paul Marshall, Co-founder of Marshall Wace
Paul Marshall co-founded Marshall Wace in 1998, and it has become one of Europe’s most high-profile hedge funds. Marshall has been the Chairman of the City Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrat Business Forum. He founded the independent liberal think tank, CentreForum and is said to be an advisor to Nick Clegg. He unsuccessfully ran for Parliament in 1987 for the SDP-Liberal Alliance in Fulham, England.
Andrew Roberts, Historian
The Observer newspaper describes Andrew Roberts as “one of the greatest historians of our time”. He has published a number of best-selling books on the history of British politics, and has won the Wolfson History Prize, the James Stern Silver Pen Award for Non-Fiction and the Emery Reves Award. He appears regularly on British television and radio, writes for The Sunday Telegraph and reviews history books and biography for The Spectator, Literary Review, Mail on Sunday and The Telegraph. He sits on the boards or advisory councils of a number of think-tanks and pressure groups, including The Centre for Policy Studies, The European Foundation and The Centre for Social Cohesion.
"With regard to Michael Ware, CNN has been and continues to be very supportive. Any issues regarding his contract remain confidential between Michael and CNN.
On the wider issue of PTSD, CNN is rightly regarded as an industry leader in this area. We offer outstanding help and support services to employees, past and present, in this area."
CNN International launches a new monthly show in May, based on the network's online guide to Asian destinations, CNNGo.com.
According to CNN, the 15 minute program will take viewers where locals live.
"Whether it's ducking into a hip new restaurant, grabbing a drink in the latest lounge, or exploring an undiscovered art scene... this show will explore it all. It will be a unique view that is raw, and at times unpolished, but always engaging and fast-paced."
In the first edition of the show, comedian Zhou Libo tours of one of Shanghai's oldest teahouses that once served as his training ground; Han Han, China's most widely-read blogger, shares his thoughts on the city he calls home; and photographer, Tang Ting, visits a former slaughterhouse turned art space.
The program debuts on May 13 at: 1630 Hong Kong; 1830 Sydney; 0830 GMT.
MickWare.info reports that Michael Ware has left CNN...
"In addition to having taken a break to work on his book, it is no secret that he has been grappling with PTSD, brought on from the hellish years he worked in Baghdad. Unfortunately, when he needed more time off in order to deal with things, his request was denied. So he will not be returning."
You can read more on the story from the related Michael Ware blog.
CNN Press Release: CNN Digital No. 1 News & Info Destination in Total Minutes, Video and Mobile
In March, CNN Digital ranked No. 1 among ALL News and Information sites in several key metrics, beating major News and Information properties such as MSNBC Digital, Yahoo! News and Wikipedia.
No. 1 in Video Streams: 130 million total streams, beating No. 2 MSNBC Digital by 11 million streams and No. 3 Yahoo! News by approximately 41 million streams. (Source: Nielsen VideoCensus, Mar-10)
No. 1 in Total Usage Minutes: 996 million minutes, 45 million more than No. 2 Wikipedia and 367 million more than No. 3 MSNBC Digital.
No. 1 in Time Per Person: 25.7 minutes, the highest time spent among the top 20 News and Information sites.
No. 1 in Page Views: 1.5 billion page views, 26% ahead of No. 2 Wikipedia and 87% more than No. 3 MSNBC Digital. (Source: Nielsen Online Netview, Mar-10)
No. 1 on Mobile: With 14.8 million unique visitors to its mobile site in February, CNN Digital beat the nearest competitor, Yahoo! News by 174%. This is the 38th consecutive month that CNN Digital has topped the news and current events category.
(Source: Nielsen Mobile MediaView – Feb. 2010. Note: March data not available at the time of this release)
When compared to its cable news competition, CNN Digital topped them all in terms of unique audience. With 38.7 million unique visitors in March, CNN Digital’s audience was 15% larger than MSNBC Digital (33.8 million) and 128% larger than Fox News Digital (17.0 million).
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AND THE SOCIAL WEB
In addition to generating massive traffic across all platforms, CNN also has a highly engaged audience online. In the arena of user-generated content in particular, CNN’s iReport initiative sets the No. 1 News and Information site apart with more than 500,000 iReporters globally. On average, CNN receives more than 15,500 iReports every month. (Source: iReport internal server log data, last 12 months)
Additionally, since launching a new intuitive user-friendly commenting platform in November 2009, users have increased the number of comments they post on CNN.com stories by 600%. (CNN.com internal data)
When compared to the cable news competition, CNN leads on Twitter, with 10.2 million followers, yielding 3.3 million more followers than MSNBC’s 6.9 million and 9.1 million more than Fox News’s 1.1 million followers.
CNN is also the No. 1 news brand on Facebook with more than 2.1 million fans across all CNN-related Fan Pages. (Source: Facebook Cumulative data through 4/01/10)
This is our weekly round-up of the tidbits that didn't make it to a post of their own, but are worth noting, along with news items we may have missed during the week.
If you have any of your own observations from any of the CNN Worldwide networks during the week, send us a message via the tip box bottom right.
- CNN marries content and commercials to retain viewers.
- Walton backs Klein to reverse CNN ratings slide.
- Caught up in the travel chaos caused by the Iceland volcano, CNN International's Richard Quest was stuck in New York this week. He anchored his program, 'Quest Means Business' from the streets of the Big Apple. Fellow London-based anchor, Fionnuala Sweeney, was also unable to fly home. Sweeney anchored the first edition of, 'International Desk', from the network's Atlanta headquarters (substituting for Isha Sesay).
CNN Press Release: Facebook Social Plugins Enable Online Audience to Recommend, Share and Comment on CNN Articles, Videos, Blogs and iReports with their Facebook Friends
Continuing to press its advantage as the No. 1 news and information site, CNN.com and CNNMoney.com today launched site-wide integrations of Facebook Connect and new social plugins. The enhancements will incorporate multiple ways for CNN.com and CNNMoney.com users to seamlessly recommend, share or comment on the news site’s content with their friends on Facebook, as well as see when their friends have recommended, shared or commented on CNN.com content.
“Today it’s possible that people may be more connected with their friends on Facebook than they are to the people they see every day, and sharing what interests you most with your friends online has become a form of cultural currency,” said KC Estenson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com. “As one of the most trusted sources of original reporting, CNN is uniquely positioned to reinforce the connections between Facebook friends. We hope this effort will make our brand even more personally relevant to our audience.”
In 2009, CNN and Facebook joined forces and enabled millions to experience the Inauguration of Barack Obama right alongside their friends directly on CNN.com. The unique collaboration set a new record for the largest live video event in Internet history.
The latest chapter in CNN’s partnership with Facebook makes CNN.com and CNNMoney.com even more personalized and social, reflecting users’ activity directly on the sites through several tools, including:
Global Facebook Connect authentication The core functionality behind Facebook Connect, which allows users to log into CNN.com with their Facebook account, integrating with their CNN Member Services profile.
Homepage Activity Feed On the right side of the homepages of CNN.com and CNNMoney.com, there will be an Activity Feed featuring a combination of actions from the aggregated CNN.com audience as well as a user’s Facebook Friends, depending on the preferences of the user.
CNN.com profile page activity module On a user’s profile page on CNN.com, they will be able to access more friend activity data, similar to what is available on the homepage module. In addition to managing their personal settings on the site, users can see more of their friends’ activity and interactions with the site.
Recommending Story Pages, Videos, Blog Postings and iReports Whether logged into Facebook.com or connected to Facebook through CNN.com, users are able to “recommend” and share CNN articles, videos, blog postings and iReports with one click, as well as add a comment to their recommendation. Once a user takes an action, it will publish in the CNN.com homepage personalization module and the news feed of their Facebook profile. Further, if a user includes a comment while recommending or sharing, the news feed item will be more prominently displayed on the user’s Facebook wall. This feature will also display avatars of a user’s Facebook friends who have recommended the story, as well as the total recommend count.
Facebook Connect in NewsPulse Late last year, the U.S. edition of CNN.com unveiled NewsPulse – an intuitive filtering tool enabling users to search the site’s most popular articles and videos by topic or keyword, as well as read, watch or share that content without leaving the NewsPulse experience. In addition to being sortable by popularity, number of CNN.com comments and time published, NewsPulse now can be sorted according to the number of times a piece of content has been recommended or shared through Facebook Connect.
CNN’s Soledad O’Brien Brings to Life Inspiring Stories about Haiti’s Innocent Children
Rescued, featuring Creole translation by music artist Wyclef Jean, premieres Saturday, May 8 at 8pm ET & PT
CNN was the first news organization to report from Haiti following the earthquake that devastated the tiny Caribbean country in January. That’s when CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien began a journey reporting on Haiti’s remarkably inspiring children. Told through the eyes of two abandoned children and two American missionaries, O’Brien reports a powerful one-hour CNN documentary on Haiti’s children’s before, during and after the earthquake. Rescued premieres Saturday, May 8 at 8pm ET & PT.
After viewing an initial screening of the documentary and being so moved by what he saw, hip hop music artist and philanthropist Wyclef Jean, a son of Haiti, will provide voice-overs of the Creole translations in the program, along with award-winning Haitian novelist Edwidge Danticat.
The two children, six year old Cendy Jeune and former child slave Marc Kenson Oliphi are Haitian orphans abandoned years ago by their parents. They represent the children whose faces appear on the worldwide appeals for charity. But Cendy and Marc Kenson are among the lucky. They survived some of the worst poverty imaginable and escaped their hardship when they were taken into an orphanage of an American missionary family. They are bright, strong and full of faith. These are innocent children with promise who represent Haiti’s future. Children who one day could rewrite this small nation’s unfortunate history. That is, until the January earthquake erupts and hands them the biggest test of all.
Susette and Bill Manassero are the American missionaries who have devoted their lives to Haiti’s children. They are part of an expansive and controversial missionary community that shelters thousands of Haiti’s abandoned children. They manage the Lighthouse Orphanage, and live in Port-au-Prince with their family so that the young Haitians they care for do not have to leave their homeland. Haiti has 380,000 children living as orphans, though O’Brien learns, in a country with unbelievable capacity challenges, the term ‘orphan’ has a complicated meaning.
Said O’Brien, "From the moment I met the children at the Lighthouse orphanage, I knew I had to return to Haiti to help put a face on the hundreds of thousands of orphans living there. Not only are they incredibly strong and inspiring, but they tell the larger story of Haiti and its struggles before and after the devastating earthquake."
More information on Rescued can be found on CNN.com/Haiti. Viewers can continue to contribute to Haiti relief through CNN’s Impact Your World webpage by visiting CNN.com/Impact.
Geraldine Moriba is the executive producer for Rescued; Rose Arce is the senior producer.
CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively-syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.
CNN Press Release: April 22nd is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and to mark the milestone, CNN International is launching extensive environmental coverage through two special programs:
'The Special Debate for Earth's Frontiers: The Future of Energy' features a panel of experts at the forefront of environmental change as they discuss the pressing challenges facing the world today; and 'Green Light for Business', a week of insights on the impact businesses has on the natural world.
'The Special Debate for Earth's Frontiers: The Future of Energy' features a panel of experts at the forefront of environmental change as they discuss the pressing challenges facing the world today.
Hosted by CNN's Anna Coren, 'The Special Debate for Earth's Frontiers: The Future of Energy' takes place in Seoul, South Korea. The unique discussion joins a panel of leaders to address the critical question in today's fast developing society - Do we need to sacrifice growth in order to achieve sustainability? Keeping in mind that continued economic growth and development over the last century has had a devastating impact on the planet, and that the depletion of natural resources, extinction of species, displacement of communities and global warming are just a few of the crises that the world currently faces, these leaders explore the possibility of a sustainable future where global economic development benefits everybody, natural resources are protected and biodiversity is restored.
The esteemed panel of speakers comprises:
• James Cameron - Academy Award-winning film director whose recent movie Avatar is hailed as the most epic of environmental advocacy movie ever made. The environmental message in Avatar has inspired environmental activism worldwide and the movie is the highest grossing film ever in North America and the winner of three Academy Awards.
• Mohamed Nasheed - President of the Maldives, widely credited for playing an instrumental part in bringing freedom and democracy to the Maldives won the 09 Anna Lindh Prize, in recognition of his work promoting human rights, democracy and environmental protection. In September 09, Time magazine declared him a ‘Hero of the Environment'.
• Changhua Wu - Greater China Director of the Climate Group leads the organization's Global Demonstration initiative with an aim to forge public-private partnerships to quickly scale up low carbon solutions in China. Wu was selected as one of Top Ten Environmental Pioneers by China Business News and a Green Leader by Southern Weekend.
• Jochen Zeitz - Chairman & CEO of Puma who after becoming the youngest Chairman in German history to head a public company introduced PUMAVision, a concept that unites the group's corporate social responsibility efforts. Zeitz is also the founder of the not-for-profit "Zeitz Foundation of Intercultural Ecosphere Safety".
The debate airs on CNN International on Thursday April 29th at 8:30pm, Friday April 30th at 12:30am, Saturday May 1st at 3:30pm, May 2nd at 1:30am, 4:00am, 11:00am, 3:30pm and 11:00pm HKT.
'Going Green' programming throughout the week Monday May 3rd - Friday May 7th
'Green Light for Business' Special Sunday May 9th at 1230am and 7pm Monday May 10th at 10am Tuesday May 11th at 830pm Wednesday May 12th at 1230am
Also in the first week of May, CNN will keep its green focus by dedicating a week of programming to examine how industry is coping with the environmental challenges of conducting business in a global marketplace. 'Green Light for Business' looks at companies that are making an effort to be more environmentally-friendly, from the supply chain to the production line.
The special coverage will showcase the network's extensive global resources with an array of reports and live coverage around the world including:
• From China: Emily Chang examines how the country's first green consumer choice report is awakening its 1.3 billions consumers.
• From India: Mallika Kapur explores how the country is taking the lead in organic farming with ancient harvesting techniques;
• From Israel: Paula Hancocks visits the most advanced water purification facility of its kind in the Middle East;
• From the U.K: Ayesha Durgahee looks at what airlines are doing to keep the friendly skies green.
Throughout the week from May 3rd, CNN correspondents will be reporting live from five continents in primetime news programs. The coverage will culminate with a half-hour special airing on Sunday May 9th at 1230am and 7pm, Monday May 10th at 10am, Tuesday May 11th at 830pm and Wednesday May 12th at 1230am (Hong Kong Time).
Online, a compilation of CNN's green stories will be available at www.CNN.com/GoingGreen, featuring an image gallery, video, correspondents' "In the Field" blogs, quizzes and ways for viewers and readers to have their say on the issues raised.
This is our weekly round-up of the tidbits that didn't make it to a post of their own, but are worth noting, along with news items we may have missed during the week.
If you have any of your own observations from any of the CNN Worldwide networks during the week, send us a message via the tip box bottom right.
Weekly Observations The time left for Amanpour on CNN and CNNI is quickly drawing to a close. We'd like to know who you'd like to see fill the spot that Amanpour leaves behind.
CNN International Unveils UK Election Coverage Plans
CNN Press Release:With the world watching, CNN International focuses on global impact of British General Election
As the British General Election unfolds, and its impact on the UN Security Council and the European Union is anticipated in capital cities around the world, CNN brings a unique and global perspective with the most in-depth coverage of the foreign policy issues facing the next government on Election Day, Thursday 6th May.
CNN’s coverage also focuses on the international impact that domestic issues like the economy and immigration have on the debate, while closely watching the individual leaders and political personalities, the media headlinesandthe political twists and turns of the election.
On-line CNN’s British Election homepage www.cnn.com/ukelection is the place for the latest news and reaction as the election campaign unfolds and will have insight from CNN’s correspondents around the world on how the election is being perceived in the capital cities across Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and the Middle East.
In the UK, CNN’s coverage includes a fully interactive multimedia train journey from south to north to take the pulse of the electorate, a series of profiles featuring families either moving to or from the UK , and the factors influencing that decision.
Canvassing a range of contributors - experts, invested families and businesses, as well as its own reporters from around the world - CNN asks guests and viewers which leader’s policies will best serve international interests; how best should they combat these three controversial areas and how will those decisions impact the global community at large?
Online and on air, there are CNN indicators tracking market reaction to events, where the smart bets are going, and who is covering what in the international media, as well as viewer commentary on how much people are or are not engaging with this particular election.
Deborah Rayner, managing editor CNN International Europe and Africa said: "The result of this election will determine Britain’s place in the world, particularly in economics and foreign policy. The use of new technology, social media and the advent of televised debates will also be fascinating and we will be closely reporting their impact on the campaign. We’re excited to invite and reflect international comment on the leaders, their performance, their promises and ultimately, a knife-edge race of the kind that hasn’t been witnessed here for a generation.”
About the programming:
CNN will be delivering on its network promise to ‘Go Beyond Borders’ by taking the issues that dominate this general election to viewers around the world – on all platforms. The network has lined up families and businesses in central and eastern Europe, Africa, USA, Asia and beyond for an ‘outside in’ take on the manifestos.
Televised Debates CNN will give full coverage to the advent of personality politics and live televised debates and has appointed an international group of panellists WHO will be judging the performance of the wannabe leaders as they thrash out the issues on domestic, international and economic policies.
Role of Technology and Social Media Leading the social media and new technology analysis for CNN is Zain Verjee, previously the US State Department correspondent during the 2008 US Election. She will monitor social networking content to evaluate what Britain has learned from the Americans and keep track of how the UK campaigns use the web in what promises to be a landmark election for the UK from a technology perspective.
CNN's 'backpack' train reports CNN International takes to the railways, with Canadian Paula Newton touring Britain to hear from people on how they are engaging with politics in this election. CNN invites the electorate to direct her journey by posting comments at www.cnn.com/ukelection or @UKelectionCNN. Paula will respond and report live at any given time through a specially modified backpack that allows for 24/7 live broadcast capability.
CNN’s Team of Correspondents Correspondent Atika Shubert will go to the heart of immigration issues in Barking/Dagenham, Calais and Lancashire; senior international correspondent Nic Robertson will report on the ‘special relationship’, who the EU most wants as leader and what implications for Afghanistan and beyond; Richard Quest and his business team will take the temperature of the financial centres in Germany, Hong Kong and Wall Street who seek to dethrone the United Kingdom as world leader.
The lighter side of the campaign – from posters to sound bites to political jousting - will be brought to viewers by Max Foster and analysed by Robin Oakley, veteran UK Political Correspondent, and Becky Anderson and Richard Quest will lead election day reporting itself.
Go to www.cnn.com/ukelection or follow @UKelectionCNN on Twitter and tell us what YOU think puts the Great in Great Britain.
CNN Special Investigations Unit correspondent, Abbie Boudreau, will front the latest feature from CNN's Special Investigations Unit this weekend, "Death And Taxes: Joe Stack’s Attack on the IRS". CNN Press Release: A clear morning. A rogue plane. A building billowing smoke. And an angry manifesto left behind. In Austin, Texas, 53-year-old Joe Stack, made a missile of his small plane, slamming it into the IRS building…a last expression of a simmering rage.
On the surface, Joe Stack seemed affable. A good guy. Sound and sane. So what drovethis “regular Joe” to launch a deadly suicide attack? CNN’s Special Investigations Unit looks into what drove Stack to become what some call a domestic terrorist. SIU correspondent Abbie Boudreau talks to those who knew Stack, as well as the victims of the assault, and the heroes who came to their rescue.
The hour also examines Stack’s personal vendetta against the IRS—and the idea that Stack was a “lone wolf,” an extremist who was not a part of any anti-tax group or movement, but whose anger was fueled by the anti-tax rhetoric around him.
The program premieres on Saturday, April 17 at 8 p.m. (ET) on CNN/U.S. You can also catch the repeat screenings at 11pm (Saturday) and 8pm and 11pm Sunday.
CNN Press Release: CNN Newsroom anchor, Don Lemon, interviews U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a dynamic town hall about America’s schools.
Sec. Duncan answers questions straight from parents, teachers and students on the realities they face everyday ranging from school facilities and safety to standardized testing.
“Fixing America’s Schools” premieres Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m. (ET) and replays on Sunday, April 18 at 6 p.m. (ET) on CNN/U.S.
Yozzup?!, a digital media project created by Ryan Gruzen, recently released their latest effort... The CNN.com Song - a love story between a man and CNN.com.
Show the boys some love and send 99c their way by downloading the song from iTunes.
CNN Press Image - (L-R) Members of the Political Panel Roland Martin, Mary Matalin, David Gergen, Candy Crowley, John King and Wolf Blitzer speak as moderator Anderson Cooper looks on at CNN + HLN Newsmakers 2010 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 13, 2010 in New York City.
CNN Worldwide Presentation to the Ad Community Showcases Upcoming Programming and New CNN.com Sections
CNN Press Release - CNN Unveils New Documentary Programming and Original Special Investigations
CNN.com Announces Site-Wide Facebook Integration, New Entertainment and Tech Sections, New Blog Network
CNN Worldwide, with a 30-year history of investing in journalism and innovation, unveils a compelling new slate of long-form programming for CNN/U.S., exciting new features on CNN.com and spotlights its HLN hosts and International journalists in its Newsmakers 2010 breakfast in New York today.
CNN/U.S.
At a time when the broadcast and cable news networks have essentially walked away from true documentary development, CNN continues to invest in enterprise and investigative reporting that is critical to the future of quality journalism. Over the next six months, over a dozen hours of original documentaries and special series will debut on the only news network still dedicated to non-partisan reporting. Upcoming, CNN will present the following long-form original programs on education, the environment, terrorism, culture, Haiti and others:
HAITI– Rescued Premiere: Sat. May 8, & Sun., May 9, 8 p.m., 11 p.m., 2 a.m. (one hour; all times Eastern)
CNN anchor & special correspondent Soledad O’Brien investigates the plight of those left most vulnerable in the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake – Haiti’s children. Told through the eyes of 7-year-old Cendy Jeune and former child slave Marckenson Oliphi, O’Brien reports on how Haiti’s orphans struggle to overcome immense obstacles – crushing poverty and the shame of child slavery. Along the way, O’Brien interviews people connected to Haiti’s almost 400,000+ orphans – missionaries, aid workers, and relatives, all who themselves must overcome bureaucracies and a frail recovery from the powerful earthquake.
FIXING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS Sat., Apr. 17 at 7 p.m., Sun., Apr. 18, at 6 p.m. (one hour; all times Eastern)
CNN Newsroom anchor Don Lemon interviews U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a dynamic town hall about America’s schools. Sec. Duncan will answer questions straight from parents, teachers and students in Atlanta on the realities they face everyday ranging from school facilities and safety to standardized testing.
AN ANDERSON COOPER 360°INVESTIGATION – AMERICAN AL QAEDA Week-long series begins the week of May 10, followed by one hour special on Sat., May 15, & Sun., May 16, at 8 p.m., 11 p.m., 2 a.m. (one hour; all times Eastern)
Bryant Neal Vinas, born and raised in New York, a once friendly, baseball-playing Catholic altar boy, is now a sworn enemy of the U.S. CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson spent a year tracing Vinas’ life’s journey, learning how and why he became a hate-filled terrorist helping al Qaeda plan a bomb attack on New York City. Exclusive images and first-time interviews yield the most intimate portrait ever of an American homegrown terrorist.
CNN DOCUMENTARY: THE ATLANTA CHILD MURDERS (w.t.) Coming in June 2010 (two hours)
Almost thirty years after the murders of over 25 Black children, teens and young adults, CNN anchor & special correspondent Soledad O’Brien investigates the nearly 2-year siege of fear that gripped the city of Atlanta. Although Wayne Williams continues to profess his innocence from behind bars, with his arrest and conviction, he was described as both a “monster”– and the nation’s first Black serial killer. With exclusive access, O’Brien examines new evidence to offer viewers a new look at the persistent doubts, and decide for themselves who was responsible for all those lost young lives. Viewers will be able to vote for their verdict on this case on CNN.com.
AN ANDERSON COOPER 360°INVESTIGATION – BLACK AND WHITE: KIDS ON RACE Multi-part series coming in June 2010
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper revisits the watershed 1947 “Doll Test,” conducted by married African-American psychologists Mamie and Kenneth Clark. The study explored how children interpret race and discrimination, and their original research was included in the arguments for the plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education (1954). CNN anchor & special correspondent Soledad O’Brien and Cooper engage a 21st-century team of child psychologists to design and analyze this culturally pivotal social experiment. They explore what has changed in the 60 years since those original children taught the nation powerful lessons about prejudice and segregation that helped to desegregate America.
A SANJAY GUPTA, MD SPECIAL--TOXIC TOWNS USA Coming in June 2010 (one hour)
CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta presents a year-long investigation into toxic chemicals and public health. With a focus on once-rural Mossville, Louisiana, Gupta investigates citizen’s complaints that the nearby plastics’ industry and other chemical plants are responsible for widespread cancers, respiratory diseases, and other ailments. Gupta talks to residents organizing to face down a frustrating bureaucracy as they seek help – and a local grandmother chemist who says she was taking on industry long before Erin Brockovich.
IN AMERICA – GARY & TONY HAVE A BABY Coming in June 2010 (two hours)
Gary and Tony are life-long gay activists. They also share a classic, traditional dream – marriage and a baby. Unable to legally marry in the U.S., they travel to Canada, get married, and spend thousands on an arduous journey toward parenthood via surrogacy and in vitro fertilization. CNN anchor & special correspondent Soledad O’Brien finds that though Gary and Tony had hoped for a happy extended family, they discover instead ambivalence about same sex marriage. With court battles, and struggles against their hometown community – can these men achieve a life as mainstream as their parents?
A SANJAY GUPTA MD SPECIAL-- DADS FOR MY DAUGHTERS (w.t) Coming in June 2010 (one hour)
CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on best selling author Bruce Feiler (“Walking the Bible”), who after a devastating diagnosis in 2008 of osteosarcoma (a rare and aggressive bone cancer), thought he was going to die. He endured brutal treatments and decided to form a “Council of Dads” for his twin girls. A group of his closest male friends would in effect take his place as father to his girls should he not make it. Each father represents a special gift and value which Feiler feels is important to pass on to his daughters who are soon to turn five years old. Feiler,author of the forthcoming book “Council of Dads” continues to fight his cancer.
IN AMERICA – KATRINA PLUS FIVE (w.t.) Coming in August 2010 (one hour)
Five years after the famous hurricane that nearly destroyed the city of New Orleans, CNN anchor & special correspondent Soledad O’Brien investigates what progress has been made and what, if any, lessons have been learned from the events that followed the storm. O’Brien reveals what has happened to survivors and what officials are doing to prevent “another Katrina” from ever happening again.
BLACK IN AMERICA – CHURCHED Coming in October 2010 (two hours)
Martin Luther King, Jr. described 11-o’clock on Sunday mornings as “the most segregated hour in America.” He hoped the Black Church would become a “Beloved Community,” where everyone – sharecropper to businessman – would be treated equally, working together for social justice. Indeed, the Black Church provided the vision and the foot power for the movement that reshaped America. Churches have long been central to African-American community life, supplying food, money, and social connections. Four decades after the Civil Rights Movement, CNN anchor & special correspondent Soledad O’Brien uncovers how close the Black Church remains to this vision and talks to church leaders and believers about today’s role of the Black Church in America.
CNN.com
As the No. 1 news and information site on the web at large, as well as in online video and mobile, CNN holds the top leadership position the digital sphere. Further, the relevancy of the most social news brand on the web is punctuated by CNN’s fearless pursuit of producing the most distinctive, original editorial anywhere.
Over the next year, CNN.com will introduce several innovative social media implementations into the site, as well as enhanced sections for Entertainment and Technology. Additionally, CNN is launching a blog network cutting across multiple verticals from breaking and international news to entertainment, food and religion.
CNN.COM WITH FACEBOOK In 2009, CNN and Facebook joined forces and enabled millions to experience of the Inauguration of Barack Obama right alongside their friends directly on CNN.com. The unique collaboration set a new record for the largest live video event in Internet history. The next phase of CNN’s partnership with Facebook, launching later this Spring, will integrate Facebook Connect throughout CNN.com, allowing users to share their actions on the site. From any page on CNN.com, users will be able to seamlessly recommend or share site content with their Facebook friends, as well as see when their friends have recommended, shared or commented on a CNN.com story.
CNN ENTERTAINMENT Led by former OK! Magazine editor Katie Caperton, the section and its revamped blog, The Marquee, will feature beat coverage of television programming, such as live blogging of juggernauts like American Idol; movies, including reviews from iReporters; music; and a newsy, fresh look at celebrity and popular culture.
In addition to highlighting all the latest entertainment news, CNN Entertainment will include a new feature called “Trending Now,” revolutionizing how news and information is visualized and prioritized. The story selection in “Trending Now” is user-driven and constantly updated according to the related activity in CNN.com’s comments, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
CNN TECH The site’s new technology section will feature coverage relevant to the daily lives of users across categories and beats, including Social Media, Mobile, Web, Gaming, Gadgets, and Innovation.
The section will feature coverage and columns from CNN.com writers John Sutter, Doug Gross and Brandon Griggs; weekly columns from Mashable Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore; and guest columns from digital luminaries such as Slate Magazine technology columnist Farhad Manjoo, Hunch.com and Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake, craigslist founder Craig Newmark and Apple 2.0’s Philip Elmer-DeWitt.
CNN BLOG NETWORK In addition to covering major news of the day across multiple verticals, CNN.com is launching a blog network that will amplify the strength and reach of CNN’s reporting resources. Covering a wide range of topics to inform, inspire and delight, the site’s featured blogs include:
• Eatocracy: Covering all news related to food – from recalls to health issues to culture; edited by Kat Kinsman, former senior editor for AOL Food and of Slashfood
• Belief Blog: A fresh look at a topic that unites and divides: religion. Co-edited by award-winning religion blogger and author Dan Gilgoff; and Eric Marrapodi, Washington-based CNN producer pursuing a masters in religious studies from Georgetown.
• This Just In: Showcases the full power of CNN’s newsgathering packed into one blog, featuring any and every early detail about breaking news events. Edited by CNN.com writers Mallory Simon and Manav Tanneeru and updated by staff in London, Hong Kong and Atlanta.
• Afghanistan Crossroads: as one of the only news organizations with a permanent presence in Afghanistan, CNN staff there on the ground and around the world provide users with the latest news from the region as well as insight into what day-to-day life is for those who live there; edited by CNN senior producer Amy Cox.
HOME AND AWAY Continuing to develop innovative ways to present its audience with news and information, CNN will launch an immersive interactive honoring the lives of every Coalition Forces casualty in Iraq and Afghanistan. An extensive data visualization project, “Home and Away” tells the story of where and how the lives of these troops began and ended, and also includes a place for the audience to share tributes via iReport, CNN’s user-generated news community. At its core, “Home and Away” enables the CNN audience to more personally connect with a deeply complex issue in a tangible and respectful presentation.
CNN.com is the No. 1 destination for online and wireless news according to Nielsen, garnering the greatest audience in online video, total minutes and page views and the most mobile usage among current events and global news sites. Launched in 1995, CNN.com draws from the resources of CNN Worldwide and its many partners to provide consumers with the most enriching, immediate interaction with news anywhere, seamlessly combining articles, videos, images, interactive features and user-generated content. CNN.com’s news video offering – both live and on-demand – is unparalleled on the Web. CNN.com’s recent awards include a Peabody Award, two EPpy awards, four CableFAX Best of the Web awards, a National Headliner award, and the 2009 Edward R. Murrow award for best website.
CNN Worldwide is a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company. CNN's portfolio includes nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.
In light of the death of Poland's President, and 96 others, in a plane crash on Saturday, CNN International has postponed this week's planned instalment in the monthly 'i-List' series.
CNN statement:
We will be reporting extensively from Warsaw over the coming days to bring our viewers all the dimensions and implications of the tragedy, as the country enters a week of national mourning.
At the same time, we feel it right to postpone our planned week of programming from the Republic of Georgia, scheduled as April’s monthly instalment of CNN’s ‘I list’ strand, as Georgia itself declares a day of mourning in sympathy at Saturdays’s events.
As a global news provider, our focus is on giving the big international news stories the space and time they deserve, and which our viewers expect. In the circumstances it is only right that CNN deploys all its available resources in this part of the world to cover the immediate tragedy affecting Poland and the central European region.
We remain fully committed to our plans for I-list Georgia but feel our extensive coverage will be more appropriate at a later date.
This is our weekly round-up of the tidbits that didn't make it to a post of their own, but are worth noting, along with news items we may have missed during the week.
If you have any of your own observations from any of the CNN Worldwide networks during the week, send us a message via the tip box bottom right.
This is our weekly round-up of the tidbits that didn't make it to a post of their own, but are worth noting, along with news items we may have missed during the week.
If you have any of your own observations from any of the CNN Worldwide networks during the week, send us a message via the tip box bottom right.
CNN's senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, celebrated 30 years since being hired by the network - two months before it launched in 1980 - on Thursday.
During his career at CNN, Roth has reported on a variety of major stories, including:
- September 11 terror attacks - The Gulf War - The opening of the Berlin Wall and the overthrow of the communist governments in Czechoslovakia and Romania - Beijing student uprising in Tiananmen Square - 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y
Roth also served as CNN's New York assistant bureau chief (1981), the Chicago bureau chief (1982) and the Rome bureau chief from 1982-1986.
In 1994, he was the launch anchor of CNN International's, 'Diplomatic License', a weekly program covering the United Nations. Roth remained as host until the program's cancellation in 2006.
Roth is now the only on-air reporter who was with CNN from the very beginning.
The morning team at CNN London had a surprise when they entered the studio on Thursday...
...The team from Connect The World had turned the set around in the opposite direction on Wednesday night; part of an April Fools' Day prank on their morning colleagues.
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