All Blog Posts from Public Eye

The bulging ranks of cable news critics saw their ranks grow by another member yesterday: None other than Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Welcome, El Presidente. Now settle down.

According to various news reports, Chavez – who has already has shut down one popular TV network, with another in his crosshairs – announced he is going to sue CNN International for placing his image next to Osama bin Laden during a recent news package.

[Venezuelan] Information Minister, William Lara, showed a press conference what he said was CNN footage of Mr. Chavez juxtaposed with images of Osama bin Laden, saying: “CNN broadcast a lie which linked President Chavez to violence and murder." He also accused CNN of dishonesty for using footage of a Mexican demonstration in a story about the current Venezuelan disturbances.

CNN has already aired a correction and apologized for the Mexican footage, adding that it is not “engaged in a campaign to discredit or attack Venezuela.” To the contrary, CNN was actually singled out for praise by Hugo Chavez in 2003, when he lauded their coverage of his standing up to a coup. (A coup fomented, in part, by the Radio Caracas Television network he just took off the air.)

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Obamanation: In case you weren't otherwise aware, following Sen. Barack Obama's announcement yesterday, the news cycle will proceed as follows, according to The Fix's Chris Cilizza: "For anyone not named Clinton, Obama or Edwards, there is NO chance of getting any coverage over the next 7-10 days. Just keep your head down, withstand the Obama surge as best you can and keep to your plan."

Everything Is Photographable: What's it like for the guy who conceived the idea of a camera phone during the birth of his daughter to look on as his invention fuels such media circus events as Michael Richards' racist tirade and the hanging of Saddam Hussein? Well, he was a bit "taken aback" when an interviewer compared him to the inventor of the Kalashnikov, writes The Browser at Slate. But as he told Wired in 2000: "With this kind of device, you're going to see the best and the worst of things."

Take Your Anti-Chavez Programming Somewhere Else: The Washington Post reports that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government has decided not to renew the broadcast license of Radio Caracas Television, and free press advocates are none too thrilled.

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