[freyr]

> * "aggressive" is an apt description of their tone, and it's not limited to just this story.*

Of course it is. CNN competes with 250+ other channels to grab your attention, draw you deeper in, and serve you commercial breaks.

You could claim it's a carefully orchestrated propaganda machine designed to scare people into ceding their rights to the government (of course, such arguments might also designed to scare you). Or you could claim that they need to do this to excite their broad audience and thereby preserve their jobs and paychecks.

You could say the media dug up pictures of his girlfriend in provocative outfits to discredit him among conservative Americans. Or you could acknowledge that they didn't have to do much digging at all, that sex sells, and that the public love personality news (see all the Hollywood "news" shows).

There's a conspiracy lurking around every corner, if you go looking for it.

[jlgreco]

Who said anything about "orchestrated", carefully or otherwise?

[freyr]

Fine, call it a haphazardly improvised propaganda machine if you prefer.

[jlgreco]

You seem to be ruling out the possibility that they are acting as peddlers of propaganda of their own accord.

[freyr]

Ah, you're not yet up to speed with the new revised definition of orchestrated.