Erik Wemple, Washington Post, praises CNN’s ‘over-coverage’ of missing Malaysian plane

CNN has taken the lead with coverage surrounding the missing plane from Malaysia, even sacrificing reports on other hot stories.

Malaysia Airlines 370 aircraft_Search area photo/PauloMSimoes via wikimedia commons

Erik Wemple from The Washington Post appeared on CNN to praise their efforts, saying “over-coverage” gets a “bad wrap” and is crucial for CNN’s “survival.” When asked about reporting on “unexplainable scenarios” like God, Wimple is vehemently opposed.

“Over-coverage I think gets a bad wrap.  On some of the sites and some of critics, over-coverage as if simply going heavy on a story is a sin in itself,” Wimple begins.

“Now, think about newspaper columnists or, you know, any print reporter.  When they stay on a story, they get awards and the awards always say, stick to it.  You know, it’s on the story, non-stopping, never let go of the story.  But the moment a TV network does the nonstop coverage, they’re a source of derision.  So, how is that?…I think that we have to stop criticizing over-coverage or nonstop coverage, I like it.  I think when news organizations make strong decisions to go heavy on something and put resources behind it, often times, very good things happen.  They break news.”

CNN has been criticized and mocked for their endless “coverage.”

“CNN worldwide.  If he doesn’t go all-out on this story, he should be fired, because CNN is perfectly positioned to do this story.  It brands itself as a way up the middle of this ideological cable divide.  There’s nothing more un-ideological on this story…” Wimple continues.

“It has to do this.  If it doesn’t do this, it, you know, your leadership should be fired and marched out of their offices.  It has to do this for survival, for its future.  There is no other option.”

When asked about Don Lemon’s remarks about God, that something beyond our understanding happened to the plane, here’s what Wimple said.

” I mean, that’s pure idiocy.  I think that needs to be and deserves to be condemned…”

Check out the full transcript HERE