Michael Moore is still waiting for an apology from CNN. On July 13, he released a letter that threatened to become the cable network’s “worst nightmare.”
“Think again. I'm about to become your worst nightmare. 'Cause I ain't ever going away. Not until you set the record straight, and apologize to your viewers. ‘The Most Trusted Name in News?’ I think it's safe to say you can retire that slogan,” wrote Moore.
Ironically, in the letter Moore admitted to being treated well by CNN in the past.
“As you know, I hold no personal animosity against you or any of your staff,” wrote Moore. “You and your parent company have been very good to me over the years. You distributed my first film, ‘Roger & Me’ and you published ‘Dude, Where's My Country?’ Larry King has had me on twice in the last two weeks. I couldn't ask for better treatment.”
That’s funny because Moore’s gotten pretty good treatment from CNN since his fight with the network started on July 9. Moore angrily called Dr. Sanjay Gupta's segment "biased" and accused the network of lying to the American people.
"But why don't you tell the truth to the American people? I mean, I wish that CNN and the other mainstream media would just for once tell the truth about what's going on in this country, whether it's with heatlh care - I don't care what it is. I mean, you guys have such a poor track record," Moore said on "The Situation Room" July 9.
Still Wolf Blitzer and Dr. Gupta had nice things to say to Moore.
“I thought it was a powerful film,” said Wolf Blitzer after Moore berated him on July 10 “Situation Room.”
Similarly, Gupta praised Moore: “I thought it was a good move because you’re going to raise awareness about this very important issue.” That was on “Larry King Live” July 10.
In fact, Moore’s spat with CNN has led to increased face time on CNN and other networks for the filmmaker. Even before he pitched a fit on the July 9 “The Situation Room” with Blitzer, Moore was already enjoying positive media coverage leading up to the release of “SiCKO.”
Moore’s interview followed a piece by Gupta, CNN’s medical correspondent, questioning the data in the movie. Since that dust-up, Moore has appeared on CNN two additional times, including a primetime appearance on “Larry King Live,” and has been mentioned in 26 different stories. Even prior to the release of his movie – dating back to Jan. 1, Moore had been mentioned in 145 CNN news stories.
