Current and former CNN self-described journalists have been triggered this week by comments from Pete Hegseth and Karoline Leavitt about the media.
Jim Acosta was clutching pearls over the fact that the "traditional" media has lost it's grip on full narrative control and alternate media outlets are now being invited to briefings:
Even though the briefing room was filled with his MAGA buddies, Hegseth still resorted to Fox MAGA talking points to bash the press. https://t.co/A1PCUmFZNA
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 4, 2026
Stocking these Pentagon briefings with MAGA ringers is an absolute disgrace. This is what state TV looks like.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 4, 2026
Acosta didn't mention that reporters from Reuters, Time, CNN, Bloomberg, ABC, New York Times, MS NOW, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CBS, The Atlantic, USA Today and others were also either present at the briefing or were invited to attend. If Jimbo wants to know what hack "state media" looks like he should just go look in a mirror.
CNN's Brian Stelter and Jake Tapper were aghast that Hegseth and Leavitt suggested that political bias has anything to do with their brand of "journalism:
This morning Pete Hegseth suggested that the press prominently covers service member casualties to "make the president look bad" – an incendiary claim that injected partisan politics into a wartime Pentagon press conference https://t.co/i49rFPiTcJ
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 4, 2026
🚨 Jake Tapper MELTS DOWN on live TV after Karoline Leavitt called out CNN and mainstream media for negative coverage of Iran conflict:
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) March 5, 2026
“It’s the height of solicism and narcissism to think our coverage of fallen warriors has anything to do with how we cover a President. I’m… pic.twitter.com/HjUJMZf463
The people from the network that had a COVID death counter which mostly disappeared as a Democrat president took office are offended by allegations of political bias. Go figure.
Acosta, Stelter and Tapper want to talk about "state media" all while the IRGC has invited in CNN, who will no doubt serve as state media for the regime:
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen encounters more checkpoints than usual and armed personnel on the road to Iran's capital, but sees no signs of panic.
— CNN (@CNN) March 5, 2026
Shops are open and stocked, and gas appears readily available with no long lines.
CNN is operating in Iran only with government… pic.twitter.com/q7AKQIp1js
If they're being led down that road there are reasons, but I won't count on CNN's reporters to question where they're allowed to go and what they're allowed to see.
Funny footage from CNN.
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 6, 2026
A CNN team reporting from inside Iran says the situation “does not appear chaotic,” noting shops are open and stocked, gas stations are operating normally, and there are no long lines or signs of panic in the areas they traveled through. pic.twitter.com/5GoIPscQ2a
That reminded me of the movie "The Interview" when the reporter and his producer were being driven into Pyongyang for a chat with Kim Jong-un.
CNN has been running around calling Fox and CBS state TV, meanwhile they go crawling to the Iranian regime to beg their permission to be in the country. And the only way Iran would let them in is for them to act as state TV. https://t.co/RfC7zTXqG6
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) March 6, 2026
Hey CNN journos, the "state media" call is coming from inside your own house.
