CNN’s Paula Zahn: Perky, But…

By MERVIN BLOCK
April 2007

Yes, Paula Zahn is perky, but some of her scripts are quirky.

Maybe quirky isn’t the right word, but it does rhyme. Maybe the word I’m looking for is strange. At least, strange for a network anchor. And misleading.

“Out in the open tonight,” she said, “America’s newest guilty pleasure. See why everyone is fascinated by the death of Anna Nicole Smith.” (CNN, Paula Zahn Now, 8 p.m., ET, Feb. 16.)

Out in the open? Had it been secret? Everyone? As newscasters say, More on that later. Zahn went on:

“We start with the country’s favorite story. Don’t bother denying it. We have seen the ratings. We have watched the magazines fly off the racks. We know millions of you are out there.” Millions of you? Her viewers were recently estimated at around 400,000.

“So tonight, why everyone seems to be [to be need not be] fascinated with the Anne Nicole Smith story. We are bringing the reasons out in the open tonight….” Bringing them out in the open? The reasons were hardly hush-hush: sexpot goes to pot; and sex sells. Smith herself had never been one for concealment. Even before Playboy uncovered her in 1992, she had been a stripper, all out in the open.

Zahn told viewers that the previous night she had asked viewers to go to her website and vote on this question: “Are you interested in the Anna Nicole Smith story?” She added, “Tomorrow we’re going to have the results and bring out in the open reasons why people are so fascinated with this dirty laundry.” Reason why is redundant. And dirty laundry is misused: dirty laundry, also called dirty linen, applies to private matters that could cause embarrassment if made public. Smith is—and was—beyond embarrassment.

On the next night, Feb. 16, Zahn reported 29 percent of the voters said yes, they’re interested in the Smith story; 71 percent said no. Even though 71 percent said no, they were not interested, Zahn said “everyone seems to be fascinated….” Her one-hour program gave the Smith saga about 20 minutes.

The same night, Zahn also described four other stories as “out in the open,” but they, too, were widely known. Her program features what she calls an “Out in the Open Panel.” Panels have three members, not always the same three, and they express their views, but not every night. And not about every story.

A month later, Zahn said:

“Tonight, I want to bring one of the unforeseen consequences of the war out in the open. For all the talk we hear about supporting the troops, here is a shameful truth: hundreds of U-S veterans have come home from the war only to find themselves homeless.” (March 19.)

Out in the open? Stories about homeless Iraq veterans have been reported in the media for several years. Three weeks before her broadcast, msnbc.com posted a Newsweek story about homeless Iraq vets (Feb. 24); the first two words in the article were “Kevin Felty.” In Zahn’s coverage on March 19, the first person seen and heard on the videotape: Kevin Felty.

CNN’s website says, “‘Paula Zahn NOW’ takes you inside the news and behind the headlines from around the country and across the globe.” Shouldn’t that be “across the country and around the globe”?

A few more of Zahn’s out in the openings:

“And who actually is fit to adopt? China says, if you’re fat or gay or single, you aren’t. Should China get away with it?” (Jan. 5.) Say, it’s their bat and ball.

“Just about eight minutes from now, we will shine a light on America’s hidden secrets, bringing intolerance out in the open.” (Jan. 29.) Zounds! Intolerance? Who ever would have suspected it was still tolerated? And secret?

“Out in the open: the quiet crisis, mortgage meltdowns that could cost you your house and affecting just about everyone else, potentially destroying the economy.” (March 23.) Cost me my house? I don’t have one. Destroying the economy? She probably meant damaging.

“And we are bringing a shocking fact out in the open tonight. We were just stunned when we heard this: one-third of the people who live in Washington, D-C, the nation’s capital, are functionally illiterate.” (March 20.) Out in the open? The AP had moved the story about illiteracy 31 hours earlier.

“Well, tonight, with the Iraq war now going into its fifth year, we’re bringing the search for an endgame out in the open.” (March 20.) Had the search been on the q.t.?

“Out in the open tomorrow night,” she said on March 21, “you’re not going to believe this one. A Florida preacher launching a series of sermons on sex….” Please don’t tell me what my reaction is going to be. Besides, if someone tells me I’m not going to believe it, why should I? O.K., O.K., I know it’s intended as a lure, but it’s so trite, it lacks allure. That week, Zahn used you aren’t going to believe this three times. Believe it.

Sex sermons out in the open? Two months earlier, on Jan. 27, a newspaper in Fort Myers, Florida, ran a story about those local sermons, which were being advertised on a highway billboard. That huge ad was certainly out in the open. And now so is Zahn’s out in the open.

By MERVIN BLOCK
April 2007

Yes, Paula Zahn is perky, but some of her scripts are quirky.

Maybe quirky isn’t the right word, but it does rhyme. Maybe the word I’m looking for is strange. At least, strange for a network anchor. And misleading.

“Out in the open tonight,” she said, “America’s newest guilty pleasure. See why everyone is fascinated by the death of Anna Nicole Smith.” (CNN, Paula Zahn Now, 8 p.m., ET, Feb. 16.)

Out in the open? Had it been secret? Everyone? As newscasters say, More on that later. Zahn went on:

“We start with the country’s favorite story. Don’t bother denying it. We have seen the ratings. We have watched the magazines fly off the racks. We know millions of you are out there.” Millions of you? Her viewers were recently estimated at around 400,000.

“So tonight, why everyone seems to be [to be need not be] fascinated with the Anne Nicole Smith story. We are bringing the reasons out in the open tonight….” Bringing them out in the open? The reasons were hardly hush-hush: sexpot goes to pot; and sex sells. Smith herself had never been one for concealment. Even before Playboy uncovered her in 1992, she had been a stripper, all out in the open.

Zahn told viewers that the previous night she had asked viewers to go to her website and vote on this question: “Are you interested in the Anna Nicole Smith story?” She added, “Tomorrow we’re going to have the results and bring out in the open reasons why people are so fascinated with this dirty laundry.” Reason why is redundant. And dirty laundry is misused: dirty laundry, also called dirty linen, applies to private matters that could cause embarrassment if made public. Smith is—and was—beyond embarrassment.

On the next night, Feb. 16, Zahn reported 29 percent of the voters said yes, they’re interested in the Smith story; 71 percent said no. Even though 71 percent said no, they were not interested, Zahn said “everyone seems to be fascinated….” Her one-hour program gave the Smith saga about 20 minutes.

The same night, Zahn also described four other stories as “out in the open,” but they, too, were widely known. Her program features what she calls an “Out in the Open Panel.” Panels have three members, not always the same three, and they express their views, but not every night. And not about every story.

A month later, Zahn said:

“Tonight, I want to bring one of the unforeseen consequences of the war out in the open. For all the talk we hear about supporting the troops, here is a shameful truth: hundreds of U-S veterans have come home from the war only to find themselves homeless.” (March 19.)

Out in the open? Stories about homeless Iraq veterans have been reported in the media for several years. Three weeks before her broadcast, msnbc.com posted a Newsweek story about homeless Iraq vets (Feb. 24); the first two words in the article were “Kevin Felty.” In Zahn’s coverage on March 19, the first person seen and heard on the videotape: Kevin Felty.

CNN’s website says, “‘Paula Zahn NOW’ takes you inside the news and behind the headlines from around the country and across the globe.” Shouldn’t that be “across the country and around the globe”?

A few more of Zahn’s out in the openings:

“And who actually is fit to adopt? China says, if you’re fat or gay or single, you aren’t. Should China get away with it?” (Jan. 5.) Say, it’s their bat and ball.

“Just about eight minutes from now, we will shine a light on America’s hidden secrets, bringing intolerance out in the open.” (Jan. 29.) Zounds! Intolerance? Who ever would have suspected it was still tolerated? And secret?

“Out in the open: the quiet crisis, mortgage meltdowns that could cost you your house and affecting just about everyone else, potentially destroying the economy.” (March 23.) Cost me my house? I don’t have one. Destroying the economy? She probably meant damaging.

“And we are bringing a shocking fact out in the open tonight. We were just stunned when we heard this: one-third of the people who live in Washington, D-C, the nation’s capital, are functionally illiterate.” (March 20.) Out in the open? The AP had moved the story about illiteracy 31 hours earlier.

“Well, tonight, with the Iraq war now going into its fifth year, we’re bringing the search for an endgame out in the open.” (March 20.) Had the search been on the q.t.?

“Out in the open tomorrow night,” she said on March 21, “you’re not going to believe this one. A Florida preacher launching a series of sermons on sex….” Please don’t tell me what my reaction is going to be. Besides, if someone tells me I’m not going to believe it, why should I? O.K., O.K., I know it’s intended as a lure, but it’s so trite, it lacks allure. That week, Zahn used you aren’t going to believe this three times. Believe it.

Sex sermons out in the open? Two months earlier, on Jan. 27, a newspaper in Fort Myers, Florida, ran a story about those local sermons, which were being advertised on a highway billboard. That huge ad was certainly out in the open. And now so is Zahn’s out in the open.