October 27, 2018

Watch Wolf Blitzer Speak Out On How CNN Was Targeted

“I can assure you, CNN will keep doing what it does: Reporting the news, undeterred, unafraid”

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Three days after a pipe bomb had been mailed to the CNN headquarters in New York City, Wolf Blitzer—one of the cable news network’s most prominent anchors—took to air to affirm that the attempted attack had not intimidated him or his colleagues from continuing to perform their journalistic duties.

“I can assure you, CNN will keep doing what it does: Reporting the news, undeterred and unafraid, as we do everything night, including tonight,” Blitzer said on The Situation Room on Friday evening.

In his remarks about the “historic week” that had seen at least 13 other explosive devices sent mainly to prominent Democratic politicians and donors, Blitzer also took a moment to remind viewers of CNN’s purpose: “The people who work here at CNN do their very, very best to report the news fairly, accurately, and responsibly,” he explained. “That’s the role of journalists.”

CNN had been the only media entity that alleged bomber Florida resident Cesar Sayoc Jr. targeted with homemade explosive devices earlier this week. Sayoc—who sent bombs to, among others, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)—appears to have aimed the attacks on those who had been critical of President Trump, or those whom the president had singled out for criticism on social media. Sayoc, a devoted Trump supporter, had been photographed carrying a “CNN Sucks” sign at one of the president’s rallies in 2017.

President Donald Trump, frequently derides CNN as “fake news”, continued to stoke anger at the channel following the attempted attack. The day after CNN received its suspicious package, the president appeared to hold the media responsible for the attack, saying it was responsible for the “anger we see today in our society” through its “purposefully false and inaccurate reporting.” 

On Friday morning, the president tweeted, without evidence, that CNN had been “blaming” him for the bombs that had been sent to CNN and several prominent Democratic politicians and donors this week.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

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