In 1991, I tuned into CNN to watch General Schwarzkopf deliver his war briefings. His briefings were deadpan style with a couple of zingers. I recall Schwarzkopf describing a bomb hitting a bridge. He told assembled reporters about the strike. As we watched on TV and before the bomb obliterated the bridge, the General pointed out the “luckiest man in Iraq”. That lucky guy had driven over the bridge just moments before the bomb hit it. During an interview, Schwarzkopf said: “I believe that forgiving them is God’s function. Our job is to arrange the meeting“.
Back then, CNN might not have been the only “game in town,” but CNN was my default station for news about the Gulf War. If I wasn’t tuning into Schwarzkopf briefings, I was watching CNN’s Peter Arnett. If you are old enough to remember, you know that Arnett was the only Western reporter in Baghdad. I remember him having an odd, urbane accent. Turns out that Arnett was a New Zealander. Arnett had decades of experience. He won a Pulitzer, when a winning Pulitzer actually meant something. Arnett was reporting for AP in Vietnam and eventually ended up at CNN. In the 90’s, CNN was on every TV in every airport. Most of America had CNN on the tube.
Back then, CNN had some news chops. Back then, CNN reported news. No more. CNN is a clown car careening at breakneck speed, past “Wrong Way, Do Not Enter” signs. CNN went from reporting news to its editors and staff editorializing (and poorly) on news.
On Sunday, two ISIS simps named Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi traveled from Pennsylvania to New York City. They had at least two IEDs with them. Their target was the “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” protestors. Balat shouted “Allahu Akbar!” and tossed one bomb toward the protestors while his ISIS bro Kayumi lit his bomb and chucked it toward cops. Neither bomb went off, because ISIS Sunday Simps were inept at bomb-making. Neither ignited.
It was obvious to everyone that these idiots were not there to support the protest but intended to blow up anyone supporting the protest.
Even the hackiest hack at CNN could recognize that the bombers were Muslim simps. Even reporters in California – right?
Oh, you would be wrong.
CNN assigned Taylor Romine to the story. Her lede:
“Two Pennsylvania men on Saturday followed the route taken by thousands as they crossed the George Washington Bridge into New York City. But less than an hour later, their trajectory took a dark turn as they were arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti-Muslim protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home.”
CNN’s X account followed that story lede with this post, and quote from Romine’s story:
Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could’ve been a normal day enjoying the city during abnormally warm weather.
But in less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti-Muslim protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home.
Although the post was taken down and Romine’s story was modified to reflect actual facts, it was up long enough for Americans to shout –
STOP! YOU’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!”
Who this “Taylor Romine”?, I wondered. So, I looked her up on LinkedIn. She’s been at CNN for almost 8 years, rising from intern to producer to “National Reporter”.
In fact on her LinkedIn profile, she claims her job as:
“Reporting and writing news across the US!”
I didn’t add the exclamation – an adult with a Masters in “journalism” did. At least she didn’t write in all CAPS.
Her undergraduate degree is in “Gender Studies”, and she no longer identifies as a woman, she has multiple Taylors. Her pronouns are “They/Them”. Her Gender Studies Degree has prepared her for a CNN Newsroom.
Taylor’s journey down the WRONG WAY – DO NOT ENTER highway seems clearer.
If Taylor had been reporting on 911 I imagine the story would have lead with something like this:
This morning, 19 devoutly religious men lost their lives when the four planes they were on all crashed. They called one another “brother”.