NEW YORK – Back in 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger tragically exploded, many were glued to their screens, including a future TV news correspondent named Beth Knobel. Emerging from her class, she was struck by the sight of TV sets showing live coverage of the launch on CNN, a new 24-hour news channel. At that time, shuttle launches seemed routine, and major networks weren’t even covering them anymore. But CNN was there, capturing the moment when everything went wrong.
“Shuttle launches were just kind of routine,” Knobel recalls. “But when things went tragically wrong, there they were, on top of the story like no one else.” Her experience highlights how Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, understood the importance of delivering news in real-time, setting a standard that others would struggle to meet.
Turner passed away recently at a time when cable news is facing challenges. With so many media options available today, CNN isn’t as dominant as it once was. Yet, it’s critical to remember: Turner was the visionary who built this platform from the ground up.
“We use the word giant sometimes to describe people that really aren’t giant,” Knobel points out. “Ted Turner truly is a giant. He invented around-the-clock news.” This innovation changed how we consume information, making it a staple of modern journalism.
The Global Perspective of News
Turner didn’t just create a news channel; he envisioned news as a global commodity. Throughout history, news was often local. But Turner believed that everyone, no matter where they lived, should have access to the same news stories. Knobel remembers being in Moscow in the early ’90s, where she often saw CNN on screens throughout the Kremlin. “That was the way in which they came to understand what the world was thinking about Russia,” she explains.
In the 1970s, before CNN, if you turned on your TV late at night, you might just see static or a test pattern. The idea of 24-hour news was unheard of. Former CNN White House bureau chief Frank Sesno teaches students today about the “Walter Cronkite era,” when news was delivered in concise half-hour segments. He reminds them that CNN was once seen as an unlikely contender, with critics dubbing it “Chicken Noodle News.”
Key Moments that Shaped CNN
CNN had its first major success in 1987 with the rescue of Jessica McClure, a baby who fell into a well in Texas. The network provided continuous updates, keeping viewers engaged in her story—something that became standard for news reporting today. “The public appetite for that story was a key moment for CNN,” says Brooke Erin Duffy, a communication professor at Cornell University.
However, it was during the first Gulf War that CNN really changed the game. While other news outlets withdrew from Baghdad, CNN’s reporters were there, broadcasting live from the al-Rashid Hotel. This was made possible in part due to Ted Turner’s investment in technology, such as satellite phones, which allowed them to report even when communication lines were down.
“CNN always had a technological advantage over everybody else,” Knobel states, acknowledging how this edge helped define the network’s role in breaking news. The demand for constant updates and breaking news reshaped the industry, leading to an expectation that journalists be available 24/7.
As more networks began to adopt the 24-hour news cycle, the competition intensified, making time a critical factor in news reporting. Duffy notes, “Time is the currency in news media,” highlighting how this shift has influenced the way news is consumed today.
