CNN has admitted it may have overplayed Howard Dean's infamous "I have a scream" speech when Dean reacted to defeat in the Iowa caucuses with decidedly un-presidential exuberance. His outburst no doubt played a part in scuppering his campaign for the Democratic nomination, thereby paving the way for John ("My hair is real") Kerry to face Bush in November.
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Now it's been revealed that Dean's speech was played 633 times across cable and broadcast news networks in the four days after it was made. These figures, compiled by a Washington-based newsletter, don't include local channels or talk shows. It's a scary illustration of how one slip-up can cost you your career.
"It was a big story, but the challenge in a 24-hour news network is that you try to keep all of your different viewers throughout the day informed without overdoing it," said Princell Hair, CNN's general manager.
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