Why CNN's hiring of a GOP operative and former Trump official as a political editor is even worse than it looks

The Washington Post

CNN's decision to hire Sarah Isgur, who has no journalism experience and who previously worked as former Attorney General Jeff Sessions' spokesperson, as a political editor to help supervise coverage of the 2020 campaign is beyond troubling, says Margaret Sullivan. "It strongly suggests that the network’s big thinkers — including head honcho Jeff Zucker — are aiming for a kind of false fairness: a defensive, both-sides-are-equal kind of political coverage that inevitably fails to serve the voting public," says Sullivan. "This approach is not guided by what’s good for citizens, but by a ratings-first effort to position the network in the middle of Fox News Channel on the right and MSNBC on the left. That could be an interesting and even useful place to be if it were done right. If CNN could be truly fair-minded — thoughtfully impartial — it could serve a purpose in the campaign ahead. It could be one of the places you’d turn if you wanted to get the straight story on complex or contentious issues, away from the hyperpartisan cacophony. But this move signals that no such thing will happen — or is even sought. If you’re trying to deepen understanding, bridge the divide or do excellent journalism, this is one of the last moves you’d make."

ALSO:

• How Isgur ended up at CNN after calling it the "Clinton News Network": She first spoke with MSNBC first and touted her knowledge of Robert Mueller's probe
• CNN reportedly assured the Democratic National Committee that Isgur will not be involved in its Democratic presidential debates