Regardless of the apparent devotion and danger that went into producing the documentary, CNN International decided against broadcasting it. Many employees inside CNN, including Lyon, were furious and filed formal complaints against the company. Despite these allegations from employees, CNN refused to air the program or give a reason why. It was later determined that the Bahrain Government had paid CNN not to show it.
CNN also allegedly decided not to air a Nick Robertson interview with Muhammed Al Zawahiri in Egypt because it undermined statements by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
For centuries, newspapers and media have been used as a source to promote a specific, usually liberal, political agenda. This was apparent in early news pamphlets such as The Weekly News of 1622 and is even more apparent with the modern mainstream media today as noted by the POLITICO and CNN examples. During the election years, this bias has a tendency to go into overdrive. With the introduction of digital journalism, inaccurate reporting, political bias, and fake news is at an all-time high and is spreading like wildfire. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram make it easier-than-ever-before to share content, whether factual or fake. With technology continuing to grow and develop, and partisanship at an all-time high, that doesn’t seem like it will be changing anytime soon.
