On the eve of Harvey Weinstein’s first (but likely not his only) criminal trial, CNN quietly published unedited and unchallenged remarks from the sexual predator.
Given Weinstein’s near-radio silence with the press and the timing of the piece, CNN’s decision to platform Weinstein’s lies and pleas for pity seems awfully strange. But the tenor and substance are even weirder.
For starters, CNN claims that they asked Weinstein eight distinct questions by email, but it doesn’t include all of the questions in the articles. This leaves readers to wonder why the very first quotation from Weinstein reads as follows:
Although CNN lists the criminal charges against the disgraced producer, it makes no mention of the bevy of publicly available evidence, from his confessions clandestinely recorded on an audiotape to a myriad of contemporaneously corroborating witnesses. What CNN does make sure to allow is space for him to attack the media, credit “meditation and focus on looking inward” for helping him “balance” his emotions, and commit himself to a career comeback.
None of Weinstein’s accusers was offered a chance to contradict him. Instead, CNN linked a single tweet from the official TIME’S UP account that was not issued in response to the article.
CNN employs plenty of stellar journalists, but they’re done a disservice by stunts like these. It’s no wonder why not one official account from the network has shared the article. The only question remaining is why it ever went live in the first place.
