If you’re reading an article on the WHDH web site, you might actually be reading content from CNN.
News outlets will oftentimes use wire services to supplement their content. It is common for newspapers and news web sites across the United States to use stories from The Associated Press. And in Massachusetts, many outlets use stories from State House News Service, something that NewBostonPost does on occasion.
However, WHDH, also known as 7News, also gets stories from another source: The CNN Wire.
So what exactly is the CNN Wire? Here is what CNN says about it:
“The CNN Wire provides you with the critical stories and photos you need, freeing you up to focus on local differentiation. With the CNN Wire, you have access to the same content that powers CNN.com, the #1 TV and mobile news site and the most-followed news brand on social media. With 44 domestic and international editorial operations the CNN Wire delivers the coverage your news organization needs to stay ahead of the competition.”
It looks as though WHDH has used content from The CNN Wire since January 4, 2019. The first CNN story that appears on the web site has the title “Police investigating after woman in vegetative state for more than decade gives birth.” Since then, the site has run thousands of CNN articles. As of March 31, 2021, WHDH had 786 pages worth of CNN content with most pages having 10 articles on them — an indication that the site have run more than 7,800 CNN articles.
A few examples of headlines from stories The CNN Wire that ran on WHDH on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 include: “Inappropriate SpongeBob episodes get pulled by streaming services”; “Bystanders who witnessed George Floyd’s death explain their horror and fear at Chauvin’s trial”; “Donald Trump launches a new website after social media bans”; and “White House says Americans deserve ‘better information’ as allies criticize WHO coronavirus report.”
Over the years, critics have argued that CNN has a liberal bias. The news evaluation web site AllSides says that CNN is a Left news outlet. The media bias chart from Ad Fontes Media puts CNN in the “Skews Left” category but says it is generally a reliable news source. Meanwhile, the media watchdog MediaBiasFactCheck says that CNN has a “Left Bias” and gives it a “mixed” rating for factual reporting and says it has “Medium Credibility.”
A spokesman for WHDH could not be reached for comment on Wednesday or Thursday this week. Nor could a spokesman for CNN.
