Meanwhile, the report may have been written merely to buoy’s Selter’s claims Hannity isn’t a real journalist.
And it’s no secret that Fox News’s ratings have soared. The channel was the most-watched cable network among total viewers for a 10th consecutive week, TheWrap reported on March 16.
CNN, “the most trusted name in news,” as its slogan goes, finished No. 11 in primetime and finished No. 8 in total day viewers.
Hannity, an ardent Trump supporter, has a huge following and generates big ratings on a popular channel. A bombshell lobbed at him will be sure to draw ratings—but as author Emily Dickinson put it, “fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate.” As CNN fights off “fake news” accusations from Trump and his followers, the sensationalism card may not be the best play.
CNN should take a lesson from this week’s debacle involving MSNBC’s Rachael Maddow, who reported on the non-story of President Trump’s 2005 tax returns, which showed he paid a 25 percent tax rate, or $38 million dollars. Maddow’s overplayed lead-up and reporting was resoundingly condemned as clickbait.
