SEE ALSO: Gumbel: I Was Embarrassed by Today ‘Co-Host’ Palin

In a round-table on-air discussion, Lemon explains to his White colleagues that nothing good can come from sanitizing the ugliness of the word and the public should hear it unfiltered:

I hate saying ‘the n-word.’ I think it takes the value out of what that word really means. Especially when we’re reporting it. And I don’t care what color the reporter is. I think someone should say, that person called someone ‘nigger,’ instead of saying ‘the n-word,’ because I think it sanitizes it.” Lemon added that he hates the use of the word in music and when it’s used for misogynistic purposes. “What I’m saying is in the reporting of a story, you should say the word,” he said.

As previously reported by Newsone, the latest controversy over the racial slur stems from correspondent Susan Candiotti, who said the word during a live report on the Good Friday shootings in Tulsa Oklahoma. Jake England, 19, along with friend Alvin Watts, 33, targeted and murdered 3 Black men and injured two more. In a Facebook post, England’s resentment towards Black people was clear and Candiotti read the quote verbatim:

Today is two years that my dad has been gone, shot by’ — and please excuse the language, it’s very sensitive — ‘shot by a f—ing [N-word],’” she said.

After Candiotti finished her report, CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield said, “We apologize to our viewers for such profanity being used on our air.” Candiotti later sincerely apologized for repeating the slur during the report:

In quoting someone else’s words, I repeated their offensive and inappropriate language. I deeply regret it,” she said.

This trend towards unfiltered reporting is an excellent development — in theory. It remains to be seen what will happen when racist pseudo-journalists begin advocating for the right to use the word without censor on-air as well under the guise of “reporting.”

SEE ALSO:

Dems Poke at Romney’s Swiss Bank Account

Don’t White People Kill Each Other, Too?

SEE ALSO: Obama: It’s Too Early for Him to Be So Mean

Most 6-year-olds, according to the study, had an optimistic view on race, but that perception changed as they got older.

Davionne, 6, told a researcher that, “They’re not the same color and they can’t play together if they’re not the same color.”

The boy then claimed that he couldn’t play with White kids “cause your mom might not want you to play with that friend.”

The boy’s mother, Aisha, was concerned by her child’s perceptions.

I’m a little bothered by it,” she said. “Just because I don’t want him to feel I would think that or expect that…. Whoever is his friend is his friend, so I’m not sure why he would feel that way. It just concerns me that he thinks like that.”

The boy’s father denied that his son had a racial bias.

I know for a fact that that’s not my son, as far as the answers he was giving,” he said. “I think he answers the way he thinks people want him to answer.”

This “study” by CNN is very interesting, especially if the results are used to somehow imply that Black children are taught to be leery of Whites for no good reason.   The sad reality is that many Black parents must sometimes prepare their children for the sting of racism that will occur later in life, ultimately undermining their self-esteem at a very early age.

I’ve only tried to date one White girl my entire life.  I was 15-years old and the girl was on my track team.  I thought her dad liked me and I know that she liked me.  After a long, budding three week romance (which is decades in high school measurements), she suddenly stopped speaking to me — no returning my phone calls, no notes in the hall, nothing.

It was later that I found out that the girl couldn’t speak to me anymore because her father didn’t want his daughter to date a Black boy.  Here I thought this man liked me, and that we were all the same, yet he was making it clear that in his eyes, I was nothing more than a dirty n*gger.  The incident traumatized me so much that I never tried to date a White girl ever again.   I couldn’t understand how someone could hate me without knowing me, just because of who I am.

Incidents like the one described above build up the collective defense mechanism that many African-Americans feel compelled to teach their children:  Reject them before they get a chance to reject you.   It doesn’t mean that you hate White folks, but it does mean that you fully understand that a) many White men would not want you dating their daughters, b) you can’t go out and get drunk with your White co-wokers, c) the police are usually not your friend, and d) you should not be surprised if you are passed over for promotions that are given to the White guy down the hall.   As much as  I’d love to reject these cynical perspectives, the truth is that I can point to many experiences I’ve had as an employee at Syracuse University that have served to confirm these theories.

In so many cases, African-American children start off believing that all of us are created equal and that every human being should be judged on the content of their character.  It is later where we find that, in the minds of many White folks, being Black instantly turns you into a second-class citizen.  To simply allow your child to believe that the world is fair and that you’ll always be treated kindly by Whites is to deny hundreds of years of undeniable evidence to the contrary.   Your child should be taught to love everyone with the full understanding that everyone is not always going to love them back.

Most of us would never teach a child not to play with another child because he/she is White.  Such ideas are absolute nonsense.  But the idea of preparing your child for the storm of racial hatred that awaits him or her can sometimes be the key to their survival.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

SEE ALSO:

The Roots of Clarence Thomas’ Black Burden

Tyler Perry: Police Racially Profiled Me

RELATED: Gay Rights Group Wants Roland Martin Fired

Who the hell was that New England Patriot they just showed in a head to toe pink suit? Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass

Ain’t no real bruhs going to H&M to buy some damn David Beckham underwear! #superbowl

If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him! #superbowl

Though there has been a vitriolic back and forth between many members of the LGBTQ  community — emboldened by the accusations of GLAAD — and many members of the Black community — emboldened by an archaic belief that we hold the patent on pain, suffering, and civil rights — what we’re going to do here is have a politically incorrect moment of truth.

Surrounded by beer, football, and testosterone thick enough to slice the pizza, what Roland Martin said would typically not be construed as homophobic or even encouraging violence and disrespect of homosexual people. Furthermore, gay men were probably the furthest from his mind.

It is only when placed in context of his Christian views on homosexuality and prior support of comedian Tracy Morgan’s disgusting “joke” that he would kill his son if he were gay — juxtaposed with the questionable views of his wife, Jacquie Hood Martin, who reportedly has a troubling habit of attempting to “pray the gay away” — that this story grows big hairy legs.

But that’s one issue; this is another.

Let’s be clear: With the laws and narrow-minded opinions that discriminate against the LGBTQ community lingering in our political discourse like an incurable disease, violence against them — whether physically or verbally perpetuated — is unacceptable and should be reprimanded strongly and swiftly. Unfortunately, homosexuality, unlike racial or gender bias, is something that every heterosexual man or woman can share a chuckle about because, for once, the joke is not on them because of their disability, their skin melanin-content, their poverty, or their history.

That is not, however, in any way, shape, or form what Roland Martin was attempting to do in his Super Bowl tweets.

As we move further toward the eradication of racial, gender, and other societal norms created to divide us, it is important to understand that of them all, the definitions of male and female are the ones most resistant to change.

Traditional masculine and feminine roles have not disappeared in our culture, nor should we expect them to in the foreseeable future. Martin’s statements were clearly not in any way intended as libelous, malicious, or even directed toward the LGBTQ community – and GLAAD knows it.

Martin merely provided the organization with an opportunity to further a much-needed conversation, and as a proud supporter of GLAAD, I cannot fault them for utilizing every avenue available to them to advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ community. What I will caution them against is crying wolf in the midst of much more serious battles than a series of they-could-go-either-way Super Bowl tweets, such as the young man who was recently beaten in Atlanta for being gay.

Dr. Amber Tillman, Associate Professor of Communication at Prairie View A&M University, believes that GLAAD was more than justified in their call for Martin’s firing:

His comments may represent the playful banter that some people in Black communities verbalize, however, it is dangerous and harmful because it spreads a discourse that normalizes, alienates, and destructs people. We can’t allow jokes to circulate that shun the behavior of others while praising the behaviors of some. If we want Don Imus out for talking about “Nappy Headed Hoes,” then we have to reprimand Roland Martin too.”

While I partially agree with Dr. Tillman’s assessment, Don Imus’ statements specifically targeted the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. He took pride in calling Black women “nappy headed hoes,” and even when defending himself he only acknowledged that he was wrong for the “nappy” not the “hoes” part, as if hair texture was the only insult. Just as we must focus on media responsibility and sensitivity, to honestly examine this situation, we must also consider context and intent. Doing so neither justifies Martin’s actions nor makes them less inappropriate in our discourse surrounding gender, what is does is enable us to say, “Yes, what he said was dangerous and needs to be addressed, but it was neither malicious nor purposefully intended to demean gay men.”

We’re not talking about a Juan Williams who used a platform provided for him by FOX News to share his fear of Muslims on planes. We’re not talking about a Dana Loesch who said that she would urinate on dead Taliban soldiers if given the chance.

We’re not even talking about a president who will “allow” our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to die oversees for this country, while still shuffling his feet or “evolving” on whether or not they should be granted the basic human right to get married.

We’re talking about one man, who made some traditional Neanderthal-esque comments on a social media platform during the biggest football game of the year.

And the crowd went wild.

Yes, it was wrong. No, I’m not buying the excuse that it was about soccer – unless by “soccer” he meant an inherently effeminate sport and if that’s the case, he was simply playing a game of semantics. What I am saying is that one has to dig through layers of ingrained societal roles to find anything remotely homophobic in Martin’s statement.  When read in context, he clearly spoke as a sports-loving man dwelling within the narrow parameters of this society and in dire need of sensitivity training — not as a homophobic villain.

The focused targeting of Roland Martin by GLAAD is even more (let’s just use the word) “odd” when compared to their relatively civil discourse with country music singer Blake Shelton of NBC’s “The Voice.” When Shelton flew into the Twittersphere and dropped the following bomb on his followers, the homophobia was clear and not subject to interpretation:

Re-writing my fav Shania Twain song.. Any man that tries Touching my behind He’s gonna be a beaten, bleedin’, heaving kind of guy…”

Did GLAAD call for his firing from “The Voice”?

No.

They asked him to apologize, and once he did, everyone picked up their respective balls [no pun intended] and went home. One has to wonder what their criteria for outrage is when Shelton had 300,000 plus Twitter followers at the time — now he has more than 1,000,000 — and Martin currently has a little more than 100,000.

With the call that Martin be fired, GLAAD has tipped the precarious scales between socially conservative Black Americans and the LGBTQ community into dangerous territory. Many African Americans who had previously taken a position of grudging support are now bitterly angry that Martin has seemingly been lynched in mainstream media for what many feel are innocent statements.  Though some could argue that the media has been fair and balanced in its coverage of the situation, what about the racist insults hurled at Martin and his family?

GLAAD’s president, Mike Thompson, released the following statement in response:

GLAAD is aware that several members of the LGBT community have used racial epithets and race-based insults toward Roland Martin, his family and broader African-American community.  We unequivocally condemn the use of racial slurs when addressing issues of homophobia and strongly discourage the use of hate speech in any context. We look forward to a healthy and productive dialogue with Roland Martin and members of the community.

So should that one statement be enough?

Should GLAAD escape vilification for the inevitable tension that they helped to spark between Black and LGBTQ communities by jumping on Martin’s statements and making sure that it reached far more eyes and ears than they ever would have without their assistance?

The answer is not a simple one, but neither is it that complex.

Racism is not around every corner and homophobia is not in every tweet.  If we, as a society, are to foster a greater understanding of our diverse sub-cultures, then we must first learn to speak one another’s languages. Hopefully, both Roland Martin and GLAAD understand that it’s not always about what you say, but how the perception of what you say affects others — and perception is reality.

Marginalized groups have a tendency to believe that they hold the patent on discrimination and that could not be further from the truth. The quest for civil rights is an emotional journey, fraught with tension, violence, and often bloodshed. It is up to all people — regardless of race, sex, religion, or creed — to be mindful of where one group stands on their particular path and do our utmost best to aid in their elevation and safe arrival to equality. Just as homophobia exists within the African-American community, racism clearly exists within the LGBTQ community.

One neither cancels out nor minimizes the other; the presence of both simply illuminates that we all have some growing up to do.

SEE ALSO:

Obama Gives 10 States No Child Left Behind Waiver

GOP Vows To Reverse Obama’s Birth Control Policy

After Paul gave the same implausible explanation that he didn’t write them and never looked over them and was not aware of them until ten years after, Borger continued to question him and Paul took off his microphone and walked away.

Ron Paul disavowed the newsletters and claimed he didn’t write them. He said that they were written by between six or eight people who worked for his staff. When asked if he could find out who wrote the newsletters Paul said “Well, possibly I could.”

In 1996 a Paul spokesman did not not deny that Paul wrote the newsletters and defended them according to the Houston Chronicle.

A campaign spokesman for Paul said statements about the fear of black males mirror pronouncements by black leaders such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has decried the spread of urban crime.

Paul continues to write the newsletter for an undisclosed number of subscribers, the spokesman said.

Again in 1996, Ron Paul campaign spokesman, Michael Sullivan did not deny Paul wrote the newsletters but said he was be “quoted out of context” in a statement to to Austin American Statesman obtained by the Libertarian magazine “Reason.”

“Dr. Paul is being quoted out of context,” [Paul spokesman Michael] Sullivan said. “It’s like picking up War and Peace and reading the fourth paragraph on Page 481 and thinking you can understand what’s going on.”

Also in 1992, Paul wrote, “Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5 percent of blacks have sensible political opinions.”

Sullivan said Paul does not consider people who disagree with him to be sensible. And most blacks, Sullivan said, do not share Paul’s views. The issue is political philosophy, not race, Sullivan said.

“Polls show that only about 5 percent of people with dark-colored skin support the free market, a laissez faire economy, an end to welfare and to affirmative action,” Sullivan said. [...]

“You have to understand what he is writing. Democrats in Texas are trying to stir things up by using half-quotes to impugn his character,” Sullivan said. “His writings are intellectual. He assumes people will do their own research, get their own statistics, think for themselves and make informed judgments.”

Ron Paul did not say why he did not deny writing the newsletters in 1996 and had his campaign spokesman defend them. He was not asked about his connections to the racist organization, The John Birch Society or the support he receives from the white supremacist site, Stormfront.

T.J. Holmes is leaving CNN, according to The Root.

SEE ALSO:

Dead Friend Buried Beneath Christmas Presents

CNN weekend news anchor T.J. Holmes will be leaving the network at the end of the year, a CNN representative just confirmed in answer to a query by The Root. Additional details, including where he is heading next, are not yet available. TVNewser has published a CNN staff memo which simply states that he is leaving “to pursue other opportunities.”

Read more on T.J.’s departure at The Root.

SEE ALSO:

All Eight Sandusky Accusers To Testify

How Jerry Sandusky Played The New York Times

In February, CNN announced that Belcher would join their team of paid political contributors.

See Also: Does Kim Kardashian Want To Be Elizabeth Taylor?

See Also: Black Travel: Visit Nashville, Tennessee For Some Country

The Daily News reports:

On Wednesday night’s telecast of “Anderson Cooper 360,” the show’s anchor delivered an on-air clarification about Democratic strategist Cornell Belcher after we noticed that CNN was not introducing the pollster as a current member of President Obama’s reelection team.

Belcher is no longer a paid on-air contributor to the cable news network because, a CNN spokeswoman says, he has begun work for the President’s 2012 campaign.

Read More At The New York Daily News

See Also: Black In America 4 Exclusive Trailer

See Also: CNN’s Soledad O’Brien Talks To NewsOne About NewMe Accelerator, Black In America 4

You know that I must have a lot on the brain if I’m coming out of hiatus from writing.

I just wanted to address a few things, mainly because I feel like the potential for overwhelmingly negativity associated with being black in technology (and in silicon valley) is looming.  When we were organizing the NewME Accelerator we got an enormous amount of positive support about the mission and people really stepping up to the plate.  There were a few bad apples but I make it a habit not to pay attention to those.  Those that supported were people who likely hadn’t heard about me or the work that I have been doing for the past 4 years here.  Just about everyone we contacted wanted to be involved which was great.  The success rate for gaining both sponsorship and mentorship was off the charts.  Not only that, living in the house with the Founders and being able to experience their ups and downs, my own, and their growth has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my life.  That said I’ve kinda been on Cloud 9 since we began this thing.  That is until now.

I feel grateful that we are able to share the experiences of the Founders and the program on such a huge platform like CNN.  It seemed that they really got what we were trying to do and the people involved with it’s production were beyond cool.  But, they are here to do a job… and that job is to make good TV.  Before I go on let me note that I haven’t seen the documentary yet so some of you have a leg up on me.  However, what I do know is a lot of the back story which nearly all of you don’t.  Having someone film you everyday and debrief you… on camera… even about the minutia of your day is enlightening to the process of how traditional media works.  There is no way any of that could possibly be captured in a 40 min documentary.  That said HUNDREDS of hours of footage were captured.  They interviewed Mike Arrignton, if I remember correctly, for 3 hours or so.  What you are seeing or will see is a sliver of his interview, mine, others interviews, and the stories of the Founders.  I have to go on record to say that I don’t think Mike Arrington is a racist.  And when I first read his comments I took them as him being excited to put someone on stage NOT that it was some sort of act of affirmative action.  [Disclosure: The person he was referring to on stage was Clarence Wooten and his new start-up Arrived.  Clarence has been a long time friend and advisor at Black Web 2.0.  I also am a supporter of Arrived and have an equity stake it in.] While I do think it was a bad choice of words (clown show comment) that doesn’t make him a racist.  It makes him unprepared to answer questions that often have a bad way of going south.  I made the same mistake this summer, the only difference is I got several opportunities to clarify on camera.  While I’ve only met him once I am a fan of his work and don’t know him to be a liar.  I wholeheartedly agree with what Hank Williams, a participant in NewME this summer recently wrote (Note: Hank has seen the doc):

Mike said a few very clear things about his view of the state of diversity in Silicon Valley.

• its true that there are very few African-Americans in Silicon Valley
• despite this, Silicon Valley is a pure meritocracy
• you become successful because you have a “big brain”

First, let me say, I think Mike truly believes everything that he has said about the tech world being a meritocracy. Lots of people believe that.

But I do not believe Silicon valley is a meritocracy. I would more properly say that tech *markets* are a meritocracy.  There are very few businesses where a single individual in her bedroom can create a piece of software that can potentially touch millions of people without any additional capital. No matter how talented you are, if you want to open a hot new restaurant or a shoe factory, you need lots of money before you start. Not necessarily so with software.Consumers and businesses, for the most part, don’t care what the ethnicity of their software or Internet service vendors are. Users want solutions. And so if an entrepreneur can get a great product completed cheaply, in many cases they can compete on totally even footing. Even if they ultimately need capital, explosive initial success knocks down all known barriers.

But the market *makers* operate in a world that is not particularly even-handed.  The market makers are the folks that help new young companies and entrepreneurs by providing insight, mentoring, capital, and relationships. And this part of the tech world is driven by all the same types of biases that exist in the non-tech world. And it is *much* harder for even the most talented African Americans in the tech world to gain access to influential, insightful, connected mentors, let alone investors.

Please read Hank’s full commentary, it’s a great read.

It’s clear there is a problem with race in the technology industry, if there weren’t we’d see more diverse Founders and success stories.  And to say that it is based on merit alone you may as well go ahead and say that those not represented today are incapable of producing great companies… we all know that isn’t true.  But to make 1 person out to be a racist and that represents the whole industry is something that is distrubing and I don’t agree with.  Not only that, to see so many people that I respect online gravitate to such a small portion of the documentary and literally overshadow all the positivity of the program and what the Founders are doing is disgusting.  It also hurts the program.  My vision for the program was always to give minorities a way to learn from EVERYONE who had means to teach and had been successful in their own right.  But what people don’t realize is race IS such a charged conversation that those that aren’t minorities don’t want to labeled as racist, sexist, agist, etc. and often times tip toe around giving really great feedback that can help someone to avoid being labeled this way.  I saw that first hand this summer and THIS HELPS NO ONE.

Lets go back to basics… what the documentary is showing is a story.  Every story needs to have a beginning, an end, a plot, and antagonist, and a protagonist among other things.  And in this day in age with reality TV dominating air waves it’s inevitable that any programming will always include some drama as well.

Let’s all look beyond the drama and the carrot that is dangling in front of us and get to work.  Let’s kick some ass and build great products, launch great products, be great Founders, and continue to do so so that no one can deny you anything.  And after that lets give back and make it easier for those who will come after you.  I know that myself and others are committed to do all that we can to make sure that those that aren’t represented today are represented tomorrow and have the resources (funding, mentors, knowledge, and a network) to succeed.

Limbaugh Says Herman Cain Would Be First Black President Due To Slavery

Shocker! Herman Cain Upsets Frontrunners, Wins Florida Straw Poll

Despite these claims, Cain says one third to half of Black voters are open minded and he believes there is hope for African Americans to turn to the conservative side.

The Huffington Post reports:

The former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza said, “I have received some of that same vitriol simply because I am running for the Republican nomination as a conservative.” He added, “So it’s just brainwashing and people not being open-minded, pure and simple.”

Despite the comments, Cain signaled he sees “good news” in the situation in that he believes one-third to 50 percent of black Americans are “open-minded.” He explained, “I meet them every day. They stop me in the airport. And so this whole notion that all black Americans are necessarily going to stay and vote Democrat and vote for Obama, that’s simply not true. More and more black Americans are thinking for themselves. And that’s a good thing.”

Read More At The Huffington Post

The newest one? The so-called sexist cover of Newsweek depicting Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Conservatives have been up in arms, slamming the “liberal” Tina Brown and Newsweek for choosing a photo that supposedly depicts Bachmann as the political equivalent of Jack Nicholson in “The Shining.”

To the angry conservatives, and delusional feminists, give it a rest. There is nothing sexist about the photo, nor does it reveal a flaming liberal bias. But this is the perfect cable news story. We are treated to fake outrage; condemnations from conservatives and feminist voices; nonsensical shouts of “They wouldn’t do this to a man.” And then it all goes away.

In fact, Newsweek should be ripped to shreds because the photo doesn’t even go with the headline, “Queen of Rage.”

I’ve run three weekly newspapers, and I can tell you that if I wanted to show a person full of rage, I wouldn’t pick the crummy photo Newsweek chose.

When I ran the Dallas Weekly, I wrote a cover story on Khallid Muhammad, former national spokesman for the Nation of Islam. I ran a photo of him preaching, and his face had a serious scowl; he was sweating like crazy — it was taken in Jasper, Texas, where James Byrd Jr. was dragged to his death behind a pickup truck — and he was wearing military fatigues.

Now that image went perfectly with the headline of someone full of rage.

But let’s not act like Rep. Bachmann hasn’t used anger at the political system to her advantage. She rails against one thing or another every day. She’s not a nut case like Glenn Beck, but she has no doubt employed anger against President Barack Obama and liberals to become a darling of the tea party, and a reliable provider of a quality soundbite.

Now when I see stories discussing her makeup and whether she is sexier than Sarah Palin, hell yes, that’s sexist. Even trying to suggest she will take Palin’s supporters implies that she can only compete for women voters.

Is that Newsweek cover any worse than any column by Maureen Dowd of The New York Times challenging the manhood of President Obama?

But folks, get a grip. If media writers can openly opine about whether President George H.W. Bush is a wimp; if Mitt Romney is soulless; if Tim Pawlenty is Mr. Boring; then surely we don’t have to lose our minds and come up with a faux sexist narrative about Newsweek’s Bachmann cover.

Maybe media types needed this story so they don’t have to cover something far more substantive. Say, like a falling economy while the idiots in Congress chill for a month.

Now that’s something to be angry about.

Kentucky senator Rand Pau; got into a heated debate this past weekend over the raising of the debt ceiling with CNN anchor Don Lemon.

The argument began when Lemon asked Paul to not conduct the interview with any “talking points.”

The Huffington Post reports:

As the House and Senate again failed to reach an agreement on how to raise the debt ceiling, Paul appeared on CNN to explain the Tea Party position on the talks. Lemon started off the interview by asking him to chat “without talking points.” He also began aggressively trying to get Paul to answer his questions, asking him repeatedly how he had voted on the so-called “Cut, Cap and Balance” bill from the House.

Read More And Watch The Video At The Huffington Post

RELATED STORIES

Rand Paul: Right To Health Care Means “You Believe In Slavery”

Rand Paul Compares Tea Party Mission To That Of Abolitionists

On his CNN show “Reliable Sources,” Howard Kurtz condemned Fox News, which is owned by News Corp, for not covering the scandal in which its sister company is being investigated for corruption and phone hacking. Kurtz said by not dedicating coverage on the matter, Fox News “undermines its credibility.”

“When CNN has controversy, we always do it,” he said. Kurtz suggested that Fox News, which is known for its spirited reporting, is only “aggressive” when someone else is in trouble, alluding that the company is protecting its own.

Video Below:

Kurtz’s segment didn’t sit well with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, who released the following statement on her blog:

On your CNN show today in which you were critical of the Fox News Channel and what you say is Fox’s lack of coverage on the hacking scandal, you neglected to mention that on ON THE RECORD at 10pm we have, in our last two live broadcasts, covered the news story.

We did it in a responsible manner. I urge you to go back and check. It was just the facts and no sugarcoating. Your omission today skews a fair analysis. I should add that I am sending you this message publicly because last time you did not do your homework on another topic I politely sent a message to you privately. Greta

Other media outlets have pointed out that CNN failed to report that Piers Morgan, who works for the network, is former editor of News Corp-owned News of the World, and may or may not be implicated in the Rupert Murdoch scandal as well.

Morgan said during an appearance on daytime’s “The Talk” that he expected the topic would be addressed. But he said, “I’m not going to join the Murdoch bashing.”

Read More At Mediaite.com

RELATED:

FBI Investigates Fox News Parent Company

Rupert Murdoch’s Paper Underfire For Hacking Dead Girl’s Phone

Fox News: Obama Has “Hoodlums” In The “Hizzouse”

“As CNN announced their new schedule, a glaring omission was present — no African Americans were hosts or anchors in their prime time lineup,” he said.

“The NAACP is deeply concerned with the lack of African-American journalists in prime time, both on cable and national network news shows.”

Jealous added, “We have come to expect this from the likes of Fox News, but not other networks.”

The LA Times Reports:

Shifts in CNN’s schedule included adding CNBC personality Erin Burnett. The network has declined comment on the NAACP criticism. Exclusion of African Americans is significant, Jealous said, because the prime-time slots are the most influential in daily news. Although CNN, Bloomberg News, CNBC, Fox News and MSNBC have shows scheduled every hour to discuss financial and world news, and occassionally have black commentators, not one show is headlined or anchored by an African American.

Read More AT LATimes.com

RELATED:

NAACP Calls For More Blacks On TV

CNN invited NewsOne’s very own Editorial Director Dan Charnas to be part of their expert panel discussion on the uproar caused by rapper Common’s recent invitation to a White House poetry reading.

Check out the footage below.

RELATED:

Common Performs Poetry At White House

White House Brushes Off Fox News As Common Performs At Event

Winfrey had wagered $320 with Morgan over who would get Michael Vick on their show. Vick’s handlers made Winfrey drop the Wager, claiming that they didn’t want him involved in gambling. Vick had appeared on 60 Minutes in 2009 but has not had a TV interview since he has returned to the NFL.

RELATED STORIES

Vick Signs First Endorsement Deal Since Arrest

Tucker Carlson Should Be Fired For “Execute” Vick Comments

Start Gallery

New York — CNN announced Friday morning that Mark Whitaker, who had been serving as the Washington Bureau Chief at NBC news and who was the former editor of Newsweek, is joining CNN in the new role of executive vice president and managing editor of the network.

Whitaker most recently served as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief for NBC News, succeeding the late Tim Russert in July 2008. In that role, he was responsible for Washington-based programming for NBC and MSNBC, including Meet the Press and the network’s political coverage.

As managing editor, Whitaker will be responsible for overseeing and integrating news and editorial content across all of CNN’s domestic and international networks and digital platforms, and charting long-term editorial strategy for the organization.

Read more at CNN.com

RELATED:

CNN Names Former Essence VP, Bryan Monroe, Editor Of CNN Politics

Last week CNN international had a poll to determine the coolest nationalities in the world. Brazilians were voted #1 and Singaporeans were voted #2 and Jamaicans were voted #3.

There’s more to Jamaicans than reggae, including Rastafarian (the most kick-back religion ever invented), an accent that’s the envy of the English-speaking world and the planet’s most distinctive and recognizable hairstyle. Note to backpackers: dreadlocks only cool on actual Jamaicans.

Icon of cool: Jimmy Cliff. The “Harder They Come” singer is still bringing it at 62.

Not so cool: High murder rate and widespread homophobia.

Read The Whole Story

RELATED STORIES

WikiLeaks Claims Kingston Mayor Collaborated With Alleged Drug Lord “Dudus”

West Indians Start Campaign To Boycott Trinidad After Leader’s Remarks

Roland Martin and Tony Blankley join Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room to discuss Michele Bachmann’s possible run for president in 2012.

WATCH:

Roland Martin appears on JKUSA with Rich Galen, Cornell Belcher and host John King to discuss the GOP take over of the House of Representatives.

WATCH:

Make your own “Salute To Troops” Tribute   http://bit.ly/SendSalute

Roland Martin appears in The Situation Room with Mary Matalin and host Wolf Blitzer to discuss John Boehner wearing his emotions on his sleeve.

WATCH:

Roland Martin appears on JKUSA with Erick Erickson and host John King to discus the new unemployment numbers and extending the Bush tax cuts.

WATCH:

James Carville tells CNN’s John King he won’t apologize for a controversial statement he made about President Obama.

WATCH:

Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE:

Kanye West surprises Delta passengers with an impromptu performance [from TheUrbanDaily.com]

Michael Jackson and Akon “Hold My Hand” Audio [from TheUrbanDaily.com]

Kim Kardashian & The Dream’s courtside date [from HelloBeautiful.com]

Did Kanye choke Amber Rose when he caught her cheating? [from HelloBeautiful.com]

Should Pastors Provide Financial Advice?
Uploaded by thatsfunny. – Up-to-the minute news videos.

RELATED STORIES

T.D. Jakes Says Change Of Plan Saved Him From Being Killed

Explosion At T.D. Jakes’ Home

Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE:

Nelly To Make A Tip Drill Movie [from TheUrbanDaily.com]

50 Cent’s Film Company Lands $200 Million In Funding [from TheUrbanDaily.com]

Hello Beautiful Goes To The White House [from HelloBeautiful.com]

Kim Kardashian Goes Completely Nude For W Magazine [from HelloBeautiful.com]

Kelly Rowland Embarrassed By Kanye Shoutout In “Power” Lyric [from HelloBeautiful.com]

Lemon made the startling announcement on live TV while discussing the scandal involving Georgia Bishop Eddie Long, who is accused of sexually abusing male teenage members of his church.

“I have never admitted this on television,” Lemon said. “I am a victim of a pedophile when I was a kid. Someone who was much older than me.”

Read more at Huffington Post

Click here to view photos:

Start Gallery

RELATED:

Bishop Eddie Long scandal photos

Site claims accuser has Bishop Eddie Long sextape

The top 10 CNN Heroes will be announced on CNN.com at 1 p.m. September 23, when public voting begins to select the CNN Hero of the Year at CNNHeroes.com. The CNN Hero of the Year will be revealed at the tribute show.

“CNN Heroes has illustrated the best of humanity through the telling of stories of selfless acts of kindness, courage and perseverance” said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. “We are honored to bring these Heroes the recognition they so deserve. It is a program the entire CNN family is proud of and excited to share with our viewers on Thanksgiving night.”

Read The Whole Story At CNN

RELATED STORIES

Estelle, Ludacris Pay Tribute To Late Otis Redding

VIDEO: Ludacris Says Barack Obama Changed Hip-Hop

Start Gallery

Roland Martin joins JKUSA with host John King, Joe Johns, Dana Bash and Erick Erickson to discuss Newt Gingrich’s controversial comments regarding President Obama.

WATCH: Roland Martin Says Steele Doing ‘Butt Dance’ Defending Gingrich

Rick Sanchez referred to Barack Obama as the “cotton picking president” on CNN Monday.

Sanchez made the comment in a discussion with CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin on “Rick’s List” about the many falsehoods that have been spread about Obama, such as the claim that he is a Muslim or that he is not a citizen of the United States. His voice rising in frustration, Sanchez asked Yellin why people continued to believe the false rumors:

“He is the cotton picking president of the United States! If the president of the United States doesn’t have enough of a bully pulpit to convince people that…a lie is a lie…what the hell is going on here?”

Read more at HuffingtonPost

Click here to view photos:

Start Gallery

RELATED:

Roland Martin And Rick Sanchez Wear Ascots On Rick’s List