Comments on: SNL Is the New CNN http://www.tapmag.net/wordpress/2008/03/17/snl-is-the-new-cnn/ magazine for culture, politics and life from a transatlantic perspective Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:43:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dirk http://www.tapmag.net/wordpress/2008/03/17/snl-is-the-new-cnn/comment-page-1/#comment-873 Dirk Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:53:52 +0000 http://www.tapmag.net/wordpress/2008/03/17/snl-is-the-new-cnn/#comment-873 Well, Kolja only spoke of the influence SNL has on the *Democratic* nomination, and that influence is evident and even admitted by the MSM media: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/us/politics/05press.html Cable news, especially Fox News, played the first sketch on an almost continuously loop the next day. The ripple effect was significant. Why would Clinton reference that sketch in the Ohio debate to prove her point about a supposed bias against her if SNL doesn't matter?. Why would she appear there the next week if it doesn't matter? Why would Huckabee go there? And about the "lead in the viewing figures". Remember, CNN is still cable. On a regular night, they rarely get more than 2 millions viewers. Even the debate you referenced only attracted some 7 million viewers. SNL, a network show, pulls these numbers every week: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-snl13mar13,0,5294859.story Well, Kolja only spoke of the influence SNL has on the *Democratic* nomination, and that influence is evident and even admitted by the MSM media: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/us/politics/05press.html
Cable news, especially Fox News, played the first sketch on an almost continuously loop the next day. The ripple effect was significant. Why would Clinton reference that sketch in the Ohio debate to prove her point about a supposed bias against her if SNL doesn’t matter?. Why would she appear there the next week if it doesn’t matter? Why would Huckabee go there? And about the “lead in the viewing figures”. Remember, CNN is still cable. On a regular night, they rarely get more than 2 millions viewers. Even the debate you referenced only attracted some 7 million viewers. SNL, a network show, pulls these numbers every week:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-snl13mar13,0,5294859.story

]]> By: Kolja http://www.tapmag.net/wordpress/2008/03/17/snl-is-the-new-cnn/comment-page-1/#comment-871 Kolja Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:41:25 +0000 http://www.tapmag.net/wordpress/2008/03/17/snl-is-the-new-cnn/#comment-871 Ok, my outrageous claim might have been misleading. It's just sad to see that the analysis offereb by CNN and the likes most of the time only revolves around campaign strategy. Call it a meta-discussion if you want. SNL isn't the new CNN when it comes to audience share, it's the new CNN when it comes to discussing the actual pros and cons of the candidates. The experts of the traditional news media talk about these points too, but only in regard to how they change the candidates' chances of being elected, not in terms of what a certain policy might mean to voters, and that's my point. Instead of putting the poltical strategy in context, the talk is all about the campaign strategy. I do understand why that's more exciting - you can talk about front-runner and momentum and do-or-die situations. I just don't believe it does a good service in providing the voters with some facts on which they can base their decisions upon. Ok, my outrageous claim might have been misleading. It’s just sad to see that the analysis offereb by CNN and the likes most of the time only revolves around campaign strategy. Call it a meta-discussion if you want.
SNL isn’t the new CNN when it comes to audience share, it’s the new CNN when it comes to discussing the actual pros and cons of the candidates. The experts of the traditional news media talk about these points too, but only in regard to how they change the candidates’ chances of being elected, not in terms of what a certain policy might mean to voters, and that’s my point.
Instead of putting the poltical strategy in context, the talk is all about the campaign strategy. I do understand why that’s more exciting – you can talk about front-runner and momentum and do-or-die situations. I just don’t believe it does a good service in providing the voters with some facts on which they can base their decisions upon.

]]> By: Christian Lüdde http://www.tapmag.net/wordpress/2008/03/17/snl-is-the-new-cnn/comment-page-1/#comment-870 Christian Lüdde Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:28:11 +0000 http://www.tapmag.net/wordpress/2008/03/17/snl-is-the-new-cnn/#comment-870 Goooooood Morning, I think this is a fair claim and I wish I'd be really what turns an election around. Obviously John Stuart, Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live, youtube (!) and their likes bring back the personality of the candidates. But CNN is having their monstrous screen and leads in the viewing figures (http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,540936,00.html , http://allthingscnn.blogspot.com/2008/02/cnn-ratings-primary-debate.html) and Americans seem to remain attached to this kind of 'politainment'. I agree that in the primary process especially liberal voters are tempted to consider the media covering more of the candidates' personality and the very successful comedy shows by a higher margin. But who cares about those shows when it comes to the general election. Conservatives don't wanna hear people taking about bitches on TV. They don't appreciate the "beep" in the John Stuart Show. The bible belt, the republican Midwestern voters and the South can not be reached with liberal East and West Coast TV. So, I don't quite agree that SNL really is the new CNN and that charts and figures are dead. Show me some evidence if you think I'm wrong! Goooooood Morning,

I think this is a fair claim and I wish I’d be really what turns an election around. Obviously John Stuart, Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live, youtube (!) and their likes bring back the personality of the candidates. But CNN is having their monstrous screen and leads in the viewing figures (http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,540936,00.html , http://allthingscnn.blogspot.com/2008/02/cnn-ratings-primary-debate.html) and Americans seem to remain attached to this kind of ‘politainment’. I agree that in the primary process especially liberal voters are tempted to consider the media covering more of the candidates’ personality and the very successful comedy shows by a higher margin. But who cares about those shows when it comes to the general election. Conservatives don’t wanna hear people taking about bitches on TV. They don’t appreciate the “beep” in the John Stuart Show. The bible belt, the republican Midwestern voters and the South can not be reached with liberal East and West Coast TV. So, I don’t quite agree that SNL really is the new CNN and that charts and figures are dead. Show me some evidence if you think I’m wrong!

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