AC, The Good Whistle Blower

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July 08

Anderson Cooper - CNN’s environmental whistle blower

Posted by: Tim

Anderson Cooper - Cooper Anderson….I’ve always has suspicions about someone without a proper first name and to my horror that trend seems to be growing. Anderson is a last name…a surname right up there with Smith and Jones but somehow it’s now a first name. Its not my imagination but Anderson Cooper seems to be everywhere right now. So much so that he’s now become simply A/C - which again doesn’t work for me…A/C represents Air Conditioning or an electric current. But A/C is all over the place and CNN look set to make him the poster boy for the network, which is fine - even though he also stole my haircut.

Don’t get me wrong, apart from his name, the initials and stealing my haircut I think Anderson Cooper is a really good guy - I also think he’s doing more to change the tone on CNN than anyone I’ve ever seen on the network. He’s done a great deal to make many environmental issues seem more relevant to every day people - he shows a compassion and concern for the actions we take as a society that seem to be based on how he feels - not what the program manager tells him. Moreover it’s gathering support, his special CNN features about the planet in peril gained many new viewers. His style of conveying dismay or disbelief about the consequences of our collective actions is genuine and effective. His job of course is to tell the news but I sense more passion comes through when the story concerns the planet. A cable news network isn’t going to change the world but it does impact the thinking of many people and more importantly raises awareness. I also don’t think he’s preaching to the choir - CNN used to be nothing but what I call ’shouty news’ with little investigative reporting. That has changed a lot in recent years which can only be a good thing.

I’m writing this because CNN have launched a new show every Wednesday evening with A/C focusing on a ‘green’ or environmental topic called ‘One Simple Thing’ . The show looks at some inspiring stories from all over the world - stories that in turn may help inspire someone in your neighbourhood to try something new or different and to be more active. Coupled with his AC360 nightly show I think Cooper is doing a lot of positive things to raise awareness. During the recent two months (horrible to even type that) worth of coverage of the BP Oil disaster Cooper has kept asking questions that matter and seeks to learn what decisions really led to the disaster and how such a calamity can be avoided. His coverage of the Tsunami in 2007 and the recent Haiti earthquake added more sincerity and less sensationalism to those events, both factors I welcomed. In a 24/7 news cycle where we tend to ignore the issues of Friday by the following Wednesday its good to see a journalist return to themes which truly effect us all.