CNN’s Convention Coverage Sponsored By Big Oil Giant Exxon Mobil
CNN’s Convention Coverage Sponsored By Big Oil Giant Exxon Mobil
In an ad touting that “CNN equals politics,” the cable news network reveals that its coverage of both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions will be sponsored by Big Oil giant Exxon Mobil. Watch it:
CNN is no stranger to having its political coverage bought and paid for by big energy companies. During the primary season, at least three presidential debates were sponsored by the coal industry. The coal industry has also sponsored CNN’s general election coverage.
As the Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson noted yesterday, CNN’s senior business correspondent Ali Velshi recently joined Congressional conservatives on a trip to Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for a pro-oil drilling propaganda tour. In a subsequent interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), an ardent drilling advocate, Velshi never once questioned any of her false statements on drilling.
UPDATE: CBS’s political news coverage is also sponsored by Exxon:
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Dumb Question: Did anyone consider that “CNN equals politics” could also be interpreted in a rather perjorative sense ?
August 14th, 2008 at 5:22 pmthe best propaganda corporate money can buy . CNN
August 14th, 2008 at 5:23 pmHow about debates’ questions, were they also prepared by big giant oil Exxon/Mobil companies?
August 14th, 2008 at 5:24 pmCNN’s Convention Coverage Sponsored By Big Oil Giant Exxon Mobil
– - That’s pretty slick.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pmYes, the politically neutral ExxonMobile sponsors CNN coverage. Given the ExxonMobile PAC gives 87% to Republicans and 13% to Democrats, how will coverage be affected?
August 14th, 2008 at 5:27 pmI’m sure that CNN would never allow money to influence how it presents the news……
/snark
August 14th, 2008 at 5:28 pmDo we know who is sponsoring the coverage from Fox News, MSNBC, whatever coverage is provided by the regular networks, and who will be underwriting the coverage provided by PBS?
I’d kind of like to know what industry I will be supporting if I tune in.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:30 pmTo see the ExxonMobile PAC’s list of expenditures click on the link below:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expend.php?cmte=C00121368&Cycle=2008
Mr. Sali of “40 barrels of oil in a single tree” got $4,000. While Republicans get 87%, the 13% going to Democrats includes Dirty Max Baucus and Cajun Influence Peddler Mary Landrieu.
I’m sure CNN will highlight the Blue Dogs for their rational domestic energy stand.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:32 pmno sponsors of any kind should be allowed… EVER.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:33 pmFor a list of federal candidates receiving ExxonMobile PAC funds click below:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00121368&cycle=2008
August 14th, 2008 at 5:36 pmThanks for that link stateofthedivision.
Here are the totals:
Exxon Mobil Contributions to Federal Candidates
House
Total to Democrats: $42,000
Total to Republicans: $259,000
Senate
August 14th, 2008 at 5:39 pmTotal to Democrats: $12,500
Total to Republicans: $100,500
This also explains why Ali Velshi has asked the following question:
If oil companies are able to monitor demand on a daily or weekly basis, why did gas prices soar during a three month period of dramatically decreased driviing?
April, May, & June saw declines in mileage of 1.8%, 3.7%, and 4.7%. If gasoline is an elastic market, why did price accelerate some 80 cents per gallon? Shouldn’t they have gone down? And didn’t those record prices contribute to big oil’s record profitability?
I guess Ali is afraid of offending CNN’s political advertiser.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:41 pmWhat? What!?! Did they outbid AT&T et al.?!?!?
Cheers,
August 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pmI should have written “has not asked”. My apologies.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pmThe oil companies should be using their Drilling Skills to Drill Geothermal Energy,
That way their wells will keep producing energy FOREVER.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:43 pmFor the whole Oil & Gas sector, the breakdown of campaign donations is 72% Republicans and 28% Democrats:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=E01&cycle=2008
The heavy hitter in the club is Koch Industries, a strong Bush supporter.
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00236489&cycle=2008
Dirty Max Baucus and Cajun Influence Peddler Mary Landrieu made their list as well. See if they get interviewed in Denver.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:49 pmSo this is how a network dies…and how they write-off Anderson Cooper’s “hair care” expenditures. Now go send him on location to dig up more dead dog’s live, on-air! The disaster fetish news mongers demand it.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:56 pmAnd they will be saying just how great a president McSame will be how many times an hour?
If you watch CNN you will notice a huge difference how they report McSame and Obama…every time they mention Obama they put a little dig of some kind in, and they only do positive stuff on McSame.
When some people complained about this, what did they do, they posted two emails, one saying that they were slamming Obama and one saying they were slamming McSame..and with that they said that proves that they were doing their job…
I could not believe that they thought we would buy that lie.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:05 pmthey’re already sponsoring most of the candidates (presidential and congressional), they may as well sponsor the party where they slap each other on the back and tell the unwitting voters how they’ll change things… (which they really won’t)
August 14th, 2008 at 6:13 pmSome of their other regular sponsors are the Army, Marines, Airforce, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon. Exxon and other oil companies fund the Heritage Foundation.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:16 pmCNN just ran a spot saying they’ll be the only network full time on the convention floor in Denver. It didn’t mention their ExxonMobile sponsorship.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:17 pmDamn librul media
August 14th, 2008 at 6:25 pmThe Democratic National Convention has its list of sponsors. They include:
Lockheed Martin
Greenberg Traurig
Parsons
Anthem/WellPoint
United Healthcare
Morgan Stanley
Waste Management
Lehman Brothers
Anheuser Busch
Cargill
Archer Daniels Midland
UBS
CH2M Hill
ConocoPhillips
AT&T
Verizon
plus lots of drug companies and banks
August 14th, 2008 at 6:30 pmI swear I do belive velshi has as much journalistic intergity as he has hair on his head
August 14th, 2008 at 6:36 pmSuzanne Malveux nearly blew Coke threw her nose when she delivered the “wimp” line on Obama. They were discussing Clinton’s catharsis at the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:51 pmThe whole concept of “exclusive debates” is anathema to our version of Democracy. Every debate should be covered, as they once were, by every broadcast medium, T.V. and radio. Just one more reason to boycott cable and cripple corporate media..
August 14th, 2008 at 6:54 pmHere’s the list of donors to the ExxonMobile PAC:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave.php?cmte=C00121368&cycle=2008
It looks like a who’s who of current and retired Exxon bigwigs.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:56 pmTanqueray lies:
Corporations are not allowed to give to politicians, those came from individuals and he has no control over who works where that contribute.
As usual, you are distorting the facts and outright lying. Idiot.
August 14th, 2008 at 7:06 pmCNN is trying hard to be the new Faux Noise. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to conservative media outlets when the country has gone liberal.
August 14th, 2008 at 7:53 pmTanqueray Says:
My guy Barry(fist-tap) wouldn’t be caught dead taking money from an oil company, he’s too pricipled….what? No way…
“Through June, Exxon employees have given Obama $42,100
So Tank… you don’t read to well, do you. What part of Exxon Employees don’t you get. These are the little people who are sending Obama $50 and $100 at a shot. Do you think that is going to influence Obama about the oil companies.
You really are too stupid for words to describe.
August 14th, 2008 at 7:58 pmTripleKick 11 Says:
little TP kids, cable airtime for boring conventios ain’t free. I don’t see TP stepping up as a sponsor. Of course, TP doesn’t generate any income, but rather only burns through soros’ anti-American money. TP’s ideas are so negative, so radical that faiz and friends would never be able to survive in the private sector.
Probably never even had real jobs.
You REALLY are stupid Tripleidiot. WE OWN THE AIRWAVES. The deal the networks got was that they could make obscene buttloads of cash off of OUR resource and they had to perform a public service function it isnt too much to demand that they DO kick in the airtime for free to qualify to keep their licenses under that pesky public service clause. Also your projection is obvious. Just because you havent left your mommys basement in decades doesnt mean everyone lives that way. I suggest you take the plunge and go outside that big yellow ball that gives light and warmth is known as the Sun dont worship it or run in panic from it, actually it is your friend and doesnt even discriminate against people as stupid as you
August 14th, 2008 at 8:06 pmTanqueray Says:
Your ignorant hivemind task of repeating this fist tap nonsense on every thread outs you as an incredibly stupid poster. WE already know how stupid and brainwashed you are. Can you at least try to make a point other than how ignorant you are?
August 14th, 2008 at 8:08 pmTripleKick 11 Says:
Tanq,
You rock like a rockstar. Props!
Tripleidiot you are stupider than the hair left on a barbershop floor
August 14th, 2008 at 8:09 pmThese are the idiots who believe our current problems are “psychological” because their heroes’ brain damaged logic matches the same message they read in their Cheerios every morning.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:35 pmI stopped watching CNN a long time ago. Once my bullsh** meter goes off it’s hard to reset. The same for network news and chanel 7 in L.A. (is that CBS, I don’t know I don’t watch that anymore either).
August 14th, 2008 at 8:54 pmIt may seem I’m limiting my choices. However, if you know where to look you can find the truth on the web. There’s no need to swallow bull.
But I guess I’ll have to watch the debate on CNN. I wonder how disapointed I’ll be.
I canceled my cable television subscription last year. I urge all news junkies to stop watching and get your news SOLELY from the internet.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:25 pmNational Journal’s coverage of the two conventions is sponsored by none other than, ExxonMobile!
http://www.nationaljournal.com/conventions/
NationalJournal.com Open To the Public During the 2008 Conventions
For 24 years, National Journal Group has published the essential coverage of the people and politics that make the national conventions a distinctive American institution. With the largest onsite presence of any media organization, we deliver insider access to the DNC and RNC convention halls. We facilitate access to our wealth of convention coverage by making all NationalJournal.com sites (including The Hotline, National Journal – The Magazine, and CongressDaily) open to the public from August 23
August 15th, 2008 at 11:30 amto September 7.
And don’t forget those ExxonMobile Citizen Action Teams:
The Citizen Action Team (CAT) is an ExxonMobil program that provides information on public policy issues and encourages employees and retirees in the United States and those citizens living abroad to get involved in issues that affect our business, families and communities. With nearly 100,000 U.S. employees and retirees providing representation in every congressional district, the ExxonMobil family is an important political force and a vehicle for positive change. By harnessing our collective strength, we can make a difference through the elections process, lobbying and grassroots communications.
They issued a summer newsletter. Recall Exxon’s PAC gives 87% to Republicans and 13% to Democrats. I’m sure this message comes through loud and clear to employees.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:43 amMilitant corporatism in its purest form should never be relied upon for truth. It’s apparent complicity in a deception for money will not meet the sniff test for objectivity. Quite the opposite.
CNN will join it’s comrades at FOX and receive all the rights and privileges of the fascist state. But there will be a price to pay.
Now CNN will have the Internet to deal with. No amount of advertising can remove the stain of this sort of collusion. Just when CNN thought their PSYOPS episode was over, they get spotlighted accepting ad money from the EXXON MOB.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/neocon_terrorism.html
August 15th, 2008 at 2:04 pmRecommendation to America:
Remove all of the federal and state politicians … from the president to congress to the state governors.
Replace them with Exxon Mobile executives, managers and employees.
Then sit back and watch the government become efficient, watch the national debt vanish, watch us become energy independent.
There is a reason that ExxonMobil is the most profitable company on earth. There is also a reason that the US government has the highest debt of any country on earth and can’t even run the DMV very well let alone the public school system. It comes down to people, processes, efficiency, productivity and so on… ExxonMobile has it and the US government does not.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:25 pm