CNN is once again in the spotlight over misinformation regarding Ukraine. Having just apologized for calling the Ukrainian National Guard “pro-US troops”, the channel has committed another gaffe.
This time, in its report on what it called “Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine,” it seemed to portray the two countries as one contiguous territory: a presenter stands in front of a map where the countries of Europe are in dark green and separated by light green borders, except for Russia and Ukraine, which are both in light green with a large Russian flag obscuring the supposed boundary between them.
The broadcast was about three “dire challenges” the European leaders are facing, including “the diplomatic and military crisis in the East created by Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine”.
Perhaps the channel is in “dire” need of a better graphics team, which could draw the two countries as distinctly separate, and without a Russian national flag covering most of Ukraine's territory.
Or were the graphics intentional?
Only last week, CNN provided social media with one of its hottest topics for discussion.
While reporting on talks between President Obama and Chancellor Merkel on the Ukraine crisis, it ran the title “Obama considers arming pro-US troops”, referring to soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
The blunder was quickly noticed by internet users and the channel had to apologize and explain that the recipients of any military aid in Ukraine would be the national military of Ukraine and certainly not “pro-US troops.”
There, however, was one more nuance spotted by the web.
While everyone's discussing CNN's Freudian slip, I noticed another—#Crimea is no longer part of #Ukraine. Oops! #крым pic.twitter.com/FiXRUpUact
— Nina Byzantina (@NinaByzantina) February 9, 2015
When illustrating that report, the graphics team marked Crimea in a different color.
The channel’s graphics team may, in fact, be aware of some geo-political changes.
