CNN got great Web traffic, ratings for its much-criticized Boston coverage
Last Friday wasn't just one of CNN's highest rating day “for all nonpolitical events since April 2003, when the channel was covering the Iraq war,” as Bill Carter reported Monday; it was also a boffo traffic day online: CNN.com had more than 173 …
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The third outage was in Senegal, and although this event wasn't a total shutdown like those seen in Bangladesh and Syria, it still severely crimped people's ability to connect to the network. Akamai says the huge drop in traffic, which lasted for about …
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How to fix network holes and maintain a secure data center
On any given day, network packets enter enterprise networks by the millions, and it is the responsibility of the security professional to parse through the flood of network traffic in an effort to block or otherwise mitigate malicious packets. Numerous …
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Popular Questions
Why did CNN get great web traffic and ratings from its much-criticized Boston coverage?
CNN drew a large audience because viewers turned to the network for immediate updates during the Boston bombing investigation. Its continuous coverage generated substantial web traffic and strong television ratings despite criticism of some reports. The episode shows that breaking-news demand can produce high engagement even when coverage is later questioned for accuracy or judgment.
How did CNN’s Boston coverage increase web traffic despite the criticism?
CNN’s website benefited from intense public interest in developments surrounding the Boston investigation. Readers repeatedly visited for breaking updates, suspect information, eyewitness accounts, and live-news coverage. That traffic reflected the urgency of the story, but it did not eliminate concerns about premature or inaccurate reporting.
What explains the strong ratings for CNN’s much-criticized Boston coverage?
The Boston attack created a major national-news story that kept audiences focused on television coverage. CNN’s rolling reports gave viewers a way to follow the search, law-enforcement announcements, and emerging details in real time. High ratings measured audience attention, while criticism assessed the quality and reliability of particular reports.
Did CNN’s strong web traffic and ratings prove that its Boston coverage was successful?
The strong numbers proved that CNN attracted substantial attention during the Boston news event. They did not by themselves prove that every report met journalistic standards or that the network handled uncertainty well. To evaluate the coverage, audiences should separate reach and ratings from verification, corrections, sourcing, and the treatment of victims and suspects.