CNN is under fire this week after four hosts showed support for the Michael Brown and Eric Garner protesters by having a “hands up” moment on air.
During a segment on Saturday, CNN Newsroom aired footage of demonstrators marching in New York and Washington. When the clip was over, commentator Sally Kohn said, “We want you to know that our hearts are out there marching with them,” as she and co-hosts Mel Robbins and Margaret Hoover raised their hands up in the air.
This act is clearly a nod to the “hands up, don’t shoot” chant associated with protests against police brutality. Co-host Sunny Host also joined in by holding up a piece of paper with the words “I can’t breathe” written across it, the now infamous last words uttered by Eric Garner as he was being choked to death by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo.
Even though MSNBC and Fox News are both known for their political leanings, CNN Newsroom has often billed itself as a straight and balanced news program devoid of opinion and political bias. Now, critics are claiming allowing hosts to show solidarity on such a hot topic compromises those promises of impartiality.
Grio fam, what do you think? Does showing support in the wake of a tragedy warrant CNN giving up their claims of neutrality?