CNN’s brilliant (and revealing) move
By naming Jonathan Klein, who used to be the No. 2 executive at CBS News, as president of the company’s domestic network, CNN is announcing to the world that the future of news is multimedia. Klein’s most recent post was with a little Internet business he founded called the FeedRoom, a company that identified itself as the largest broadband news network, using the emerging high-speed online technology to provide streaming video and other services. His Internet expertise includes more than just technology, for he also brings outside-the-box insight into what is and isn’t news.
But more than that, I think this is the kind of experience that broadcast or cable news organizations need, because the world is a very, very different place today than it was just 5 years ago.
Kudos to CNN.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 23rd, 2004 at 3:35 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
November 24th, 2004 at 9:08 am
You’re right, Terry. CNN needs some "outside the box insight."
But I’m wondering, is Klein’s hiring a demonstration of CNN’s shifting attention to new technology, or an indication that it’s running out of mainstream media people to manage its floundering operation?
The NY Times reports, "The top job at the domestic network has turned over five times since 2000 and the job of heading all of CNN has changed hands three times in that span."
November 27th, 2004 at 4:19 am
Ya know, normally I’d agree with you here, but John Klein is the same guy who said bloggers like you and I weren’t fit to wear Rather’s jock strap because we were just "guys in their pajamas" hounding the networks..
He is precicely the guy you’re talking about when you say:
"And the status quo — including the rest of the Dan Rathers of the world — won’t go down without a fight."
I think this guy should arrouse more suspicion than accolades.
November 28th, 2004 at 9:02 am
I didn’t know that. I take it all back. Thanks, Arvin.