It is Not True That CNN Reduced the Media Coverage of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

CNN follows the Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine with direct presence of its own teams and informs from the field about the situation in Ukraine every day. That did not change even after the new conflict shook the world. Truthmeter analyzed CNN’s coverage from 10-17 October (a week before the Facebook post) and found 6,501 media contents on Ukraine in CNN’s online database.

We are fact checking a post on the social media Facebook that says the following:

For a week CNN mentions Ukraine only in the weather forecasts when reporting on the temperature in Kyiv.

… Slowly but surely …. ever so gently …. it is simmering quietly like a frog in a pot.

Since the post we are fact-checking dates back to October 17, Truthmeter analyzed CNN’s coverage from 10-17 October (a week before the Facebook post) and determined that the content stated in the post was not true. Every day CNN publishes numerous detailed analyses, including informative contents on Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. When searching the online database published on CNN’s website for Ukraine, we found 6,501 pieces of media contents.

On October 12, CNN published a text from the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Brussels, where he commented on the situation in Gaza.

We are in the war, we understand what it means to suffer a terrorist attack. I remember the first days of the war… so many dying people, so many deaths, it was very important not to be alone. Therefore, my recommendation for the NATO leaders is that they go to Israel and support the people, said Zelenskyy, as CNN reported his position.  

On October 11, the medium published an extensive analysis of the arms support required for both Ukraine and Israel. An article on Ukrainian Special Forces in Crimea and their counteroffensive efforts was published on October 18.

On October 21, an analytical summary on the delivery of weapons in the last week for the Ukrainian counteroffensive was published. On October 13 an article about Russian Forces launching a major offensive in the city of Avdiivka in Eastern Ukraine with intense fighting was published. CNN, as a professional American media outlet with vast resources and foreign policy and world coverage includes the human destinies of those who died in Ukraine from Russia’s attacks involving children. There are also video materials, CNN-exclusive, with its own journalists and teams in Ukraine.

Thus, on October 16 there is an article with video-materials titled: ”See How Ukrainian Forces Launch Attack Inside Russian-Occupied Crimea”.

On October 17 2023, a video-report was also published titled: “Ukrainian Village Tries to Cope after Devastating Russian Strike”.

Apart from the extensive coverage of Russia’s military invasion in Ukraine, on 20 October, CNN published details about the financial aid package on national security worth 105 billion Dollars presented by the Biden administration, which includes military and humanitarian aid for the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.

It would also provide training, equipment and weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s invasion and to recapture its territory, as well as to protect Ukrainians from Russian aggression, reported CNN on the financial package.

CNN informed:

Here is what’s in the $61.4 billion aid package for Ukraine, according to the White House. $30 billion are for the Defense Department for equipment for Ukraine and replenishment of US stocks. So far, the US provided Ukraine air-defense systems, munitions, and small arms, among other weapons and equipment and $14.4 billion for continued military, intelligence and other defense support. This includes investments in the defense industrial base, transportation costs of personnel and equipment and continuing an enhanced US troop presence in Europe, among other activities; $16.3 billion for economic, security and operational assistance. It includes direct budget support to Ukraine to help delivering critical services to its people and sustain its economy, as well as investments in infrastructure, civilian law enforcement and getting rid of mines; $481 million to support the Ukrainians arriving in the US through the Uniting for Ukraine program; and $149 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration for nuclear /radiological incident response and capacity building.

CNN has also published a text titled: Biden on why funding Ukraine and Israel matters to Americans. The post fact-checked indirectly insinuates that since the conflict between Israel and HAMAS began, the USA turned to that conflict and forgot about Ukraine, which is not true. This is done by blaming CNN, as if the media is the spokesperson of the US government (that being the hidden narrative – that the television is personification of the position of the US in Ukraine). However, CNN as an independent television station is professionally reporting on Russia’s military invasion in Ukraine with a direct presence of its own teams. That did not change even after a new conflict shook the world, once HAMAS attacked Israel, followed by a fierce response on the side of the Israeli authorities.

Due to all of the above-noted facts, we assess this post as untrue.

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