DebateScoop.org: "It's All about Anderson" - Hyping the GOP CNN-YouTube Debate

"It's All about Anderson" - Hyping the GOP CNN-YouTube Debate

By Allan Louden 11/24/2007 12:13:41 PM EST

Turn to the last page of the November 26-December 3 issue of U.S. News and World Report and you will find an advertisement hawking the upcoming GOP CNN-YouTube debate, airing Wednesday Nov 28 at 8 pm (EST).

I have observed before how the debates have become property of news outlets. CNN, in my observation, is the most obvious (and obnoxious), in making the debate about themselves, the candidates be damned. Surely it is unfair to say "It's all about Anderson" because it really is about CNN. A critical reading of the advertisement seems fair in this post-modern era and makes the point better than another lament. The network is the judge, jury, and executioner even in its promotion.

Five observations about the visuals and copy speak to the relationship between the messenger and the message.

To View the ad Click here.DebateScoop

Tags: GOP debate, CNN-YouTube, ownership, Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, preview

Anderson Cooper's image dominates, reinforced by his name in print. The GOP candidates have neither names nor full head shoots. Their small pictures, while artistic, are cropped lobotomies only suggestive of complete personages. It does not take too much imagination to interpret the design as "Anderson and the seven dwarfs" (and Ron Paul).
Anderson's expression could be read as thoughtful and forceful, but posture and tone is more easily interpreted as skeptical and puzzled. Anderson seems to draws back "appalled" by what he hears. As "American's voice" in the grand experiment I suppose he had the right to respond critically, even if is before the event.
The text-"Republican Candidates"-receives bold placement, yet the branding of CNN and YouTube receive arguable equal billing. If one misses the point the triangle cut out at the bottom requests: "Go to CNNPOLITICS.com to find the best political team on-line!" If this debate works like CNN's Democratic Debate in July the pre and post CNN coverage will feature a steady drumbeat plugging the network's personalities and shows. Maybe we can look forward to Larry King complimenting Anderson, like he did Wolf Blitzer, on doing such an incredible job as moderator in the first post debate segment.
The ad's hook is "Groundbreaking Debates Continues" text in which CNN lauds itself for innovation. The sad part is that allowing voice to the people could have been inventive, but control of the questions remained with the network and the pre-debate agenda was remarkably reflected in the selected questions. If the questions had indeed been groundbreaking, a citizen's groundswell, there should have been moments of thinking "that question was fresh, was particularly insightful, or at least unique/genuine." In all fairness the snowman and the gun totting questioner were at least surprising, if not representative.
In the fine print there appears a sponsor: Clean CoalAmerica's Power (www.americaspower.org). Are CNN and YouTube front organizations for the coal industry? Maybe Wolf can reveal on the "Situation Room" results of his investigation of "lobby influences" on the media.