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By Beth Stibal |

CNN Boss to reporters: Flush the phrase “The Big Lie”

CNN in toilet
(AP Photo)

The new boss at CNN reportedly told his reporters to avoid using the phrase “The Big Lie” in reference to Donald Trump’s claims about the 2020 election.
Recently installed CNN president Chris Licht asked newsroom leaders to stop using the phrase after being asked about his thoughts on “the big lie” during a conference call.
He made clear this was a preference, not a mandate, but staffers have taken it as a clear directive from the new boss.
Licht encouraged producers to use the terms like “election lies” in banners and graphics because “The Big Lie” smacks of Hitler and Democratic branding which weakens the network’s objectivity.
The term, which was first coined by Adolf Hitler and later used to describe Nazi propaganda efforts. Then it was recently adopted by critics of Trump in response to his claims that he really won the 2020 election.

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” Nazi propaganda.

The term has become ubiquitous on CNN. “Big lie” has been mentioned on the network 168 times this month, according to media monitoring service TVEyes.