Posted Nov.

2022 on
NewsGuardTech.com

Inside Politics
Network—CNN
Weekdays, 12 p.m. Eastern Time,   60 minutes
A CNN show largely devoted to a nuts-and-bolts discussion of U.S.
politics. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

LOW RISK
9 / 10

Does not repeatedly convey false news 4 points

Reports on important topics responsibly 3

Presents multiple viewpoints 2

News organization associated with this program adheres strongly to journalistic

standards 1

Content
 Posted Nov. 2022 on
NewsGuardTech.com
The one-hour weekday show is hosted by veteran CNN reporter John King, the
network’s chief national correspondent, and focuses on American politics with a
heavy emphasis on Washington. The program reflects King’s deep knowledge of
national and state politics, which is most associated with his manning of CNN’s
election night “magic wall” or touch screen, to filter and assess vote totals as
they are recorded.
“Inside Politics” opens with the major news story of the day, such as the Russia-
Ukraine war or major developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic. During
the height of the pandemic, King often used a COVID-19 counterpart to his
election night “magic wall” to show how the pandemic has played out in different
states, focusing on infection rates, deaths, and issues such as mask mandates.
Typical segments in 2022 have covered the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the
constitutional right to abortion, frustration among congressional Democrats
over U.S. President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy, the legal fight over
classified documents found in former President Donald Trump’s Florida home,
and coverage of campaigns ahead of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections. A segment
on younger voters and President Biden underscored the challenges faced by
Democrats, given President Biden’s relatively low approval ratings. “Are they
switching teams or sitting out?” King asked.
King joined CNN in 1997 as a senior White House correspondent, and was named
CNN’s chief national correspondent in 2005. King has also hosted “State of the
Union” and the now-canceled nightly program “John King, USA.” King was chief
political correspondent for The Associated Press before coming to CNN.

Credibility
“Inside Politics” is typically fact-based and relies heavily on CNN’s numerous
political analysts and those from other media organizations, including The New
York Times, NPR, and niche political newsletters such as the Cook Political
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Report. “Inside Politics” tended to be critical of former President Donald Trump
when he was in office, and has continued to cover him critically when he still
makes news.
Many CNN analysts tend to be left-leaning, and despite King’s reputation in the
political community as a non-partisan journalist, Republican elected officials
rarely come on as guests, as is true with CNN in general.
Nevertheless, King typically includes multiple viewpoints in his reports, mostly
through his own summary of dissenting views on a story, and interviews with
prominent Republican lawmakers, pollsters, and consultants.
King also routinely offers neutral summaries of the news and some political
issues. For example, during an Oct. 5, 2022, segment, in which political analysts
discussed the impact of a report that Herschel Walker, an anti-abortion
Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia, paid for a woman’s abortion in
2009, King presented alternate viewpoints of the issue.“And that's what makes it
very complicated,” King said. “Some voters might just decide, OK, Herschel
Walker is very pro-life in the campaign. He says he supports a ban on abortion, no
exceptions. There are some voters who might say, well, this is hypocrisy. There
are others who might just say, ‘I don't know about the specifics here.’”
On the June 23, 2022, episode, during a discussion on whether President Biden
should suspend the gas tax to address sharp inflation, King summarized Biden’s
position, quoting the president as saying, “I want to try to anything” to reduce
inflation, while also relaying criticism from Republicans and leading Democrats
such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who feared the impact of a suspension
would be small.
The June 7, 2022, episode discussed gun control legislation proposed after the
May 24, 2022, elementary school mass shooting at Uvalde, Texas, with guests
including Democrat U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Jacky Rosen of
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Nevada, who supported the legislation and Republican U.S. Sen John Thune of
South Dakota, who opposed gun control.
Rosen said on the program, “Responsible gun owners understand that we can
protect the Second Amendment and have some responsible gun safety measures
putting them in place. And so, I don't think we have an option. We have to try
something.” Thune, commenting on the proposal to ban the sale of AR-15 assault
weapons, said, “Well, I mean, the challenge you have on that is there's 20 million
of them in the country already. They are a sporting rifle. And it's something that a
lot of people, for purposes of going out, target shooting, in my state, they
use them to shoot prairie dogs and you know, other types of varmints. And so, I
think that there are legitimate reasons why people would want to have them.”
A Feb. 7, 2022, segment included sharp criticism of Georgia Democrat Stacey
Abrams after she deleted a tweet with a photo of herself appearing without a
face mask in a Georgia elementary classroom, where students were required to
wear masks. The caption on the segment read, “Republicans Attack Abrams for
Hypocrisy After Maskless Photo.” King said that Abrams had committed “a totally
unforced error,” and noted criticisms by prominent Georgia Republicans as he
concluded that her maskless appearance was a “gift to the Republicans.”
The website of CNN is rated Green by NewsGuard, with a score of 80/100.
However, it fails NewsGuard’s standard for handling the difference between news
and opinion responsibly.

History
“Inside Politics” premiered in 1992, with hosts including Catherine Crier, Bernard
Shaw, and Judy Woodruff. It was canceled in 2005 and revived in 2014, with King
as host.
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In 2021, King was the first overseas journalist to be nominated for the “Network
Host of the Year” award from the British Royal Television Society. The Guardian
wrote, “To befuddled British viewers seeking the most informed analysis of the
American election results, he was the wizard of the magic wall: an encyclopedic
guide whose knowledge of the Florida Panhandle was matched only by his facility
with a massive iPad.”
During an October 2021 COVID-19 segment on the show, King disclosed publicly
that he has multiple sclerosis and immunocompromised, and thanked his guests
for being vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a June 2022 interview with MedlinePlus, a publication of the National
Institutes of Health, King said, "I haven’t had full sensation in my legs since Bill
Clinton was president. Recently, my right side and especially my right hand are
having issues. I fall sometimes. Some days, every waking moment has to be
planned. I have to think about and focus on things that for most are second
nature — things like standing up or holding the coffee mug. Do I need the railing
on the stairs? Are there headaches, and how bad are they? But I have learned how
to snowboard even though I can’t really feel my feet."
Editor’s Note: This TV Nutrition Label was updated on Oct. 10, 2022, and on July
12, 2022.

Written by: Jim Warren

Edited by: Amy Westfeldt

Sources
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2101/18/cnr.07.html
https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2022-02-04/segment/02
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/536823-cnns-john-king-becomes-first-
overseas-host-nominated-for-british-tv-award
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https://www.nbcboston.com/news/national-international/cnns-john-king-
reveals-he-has-multiple-sclerosis-during-covid-vaccination-mandates-
discussion/2525462/
https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2022-02-04/segment/02
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http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2107/02/ip.01.html
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https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2022-06-30/segment/01
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q=john+king+health+cnn&oq=john+king+health+cnn&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i390l
3.5624j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
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