CNN has been forced to apologise after it was threatened with a defamation lawsuit after Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was called "a paedophile who lives in the Ecuadorian embassy in London" on CNN's Ameritrash morning show New Day seen globally on CNN International (DStv 401).
The Americentric New Day, like The Lead with Jake Tapper, Erin Burnett Outfront, State of America with Kate Bolduan and others, is one of several bad "news-lite" shows that's been taking over the CNN International schedule in an ongoing and misguided CNN Domestic programming creep that's all steadily worsening CNN International's programming offering.
More and more filling the CNN International schedule with trash-talking and opinionated "infotainment" blabber-programming of often dubious news value, shows like New Day doesn't really serve African or other international viewers watching on platforms like MultiChoice's DStv across the African continent.
At its most damaging these shows are negatively impacting CNN International's news credibility with its bad mistakes, and at its least damaging a lot of its mindless content is simply wasting time and is irrelevant for specifically African and other international audiences.
The CNN New Day apology came after Wikileaks, on Twitter, threatened to take legal action against CNN for alleged defamation over Julian Assange being called a paedophile, unless CNN, within 48 hours, broadcast "a one-hour show to "expose of the plot".
CNN then apologised for New Day, where the former CIA counter-terrorism official Philip Mudd made the comments, saying "an analyst on our air earlier today asserted that Julian Assange was a pedophile, and regrets saying it".
"In fact, CNN has no evidence to support that assertion. Assange is currently wanted for extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegation there, and no evidence suggests that the women involved were minors. We regret the error".
CNN also deleted a tweet that included a video clip from its New Day show.
In late-2016 CNN used the on-air chyron "Alt-right founder questions if Jews are people" on The Lead with Jake Tapper, that was also broadcast on CNN International, for which CNN was heavily criticised.
