CNN: "We're EXTRA Fair and Balanced For Communist Dictators!"

Employees at CNN arrived at work this morning to find an email from management urging staff members to take special care to "cover the end of the Castro era.

Here is part of the email, verbatim:

From the International Desk

Some points on Castro – for adding to our anchor reads/reporting:

* Please note Fidel did bring social reforms to Cuba – namely free education and universal health care, and racial integration.

* Some analysts would say the US embargo was a benefit to Castro politically – something to blame problems on, by what the Cubans call “the imperialist,” meddling in their affairs.

* While despised by some, he is seen as a revolutionary hero, especially with leftist in Latin America, for standing up to the United States.

Gee, I wonder if a similar email went out at CNN when Ronald Reagan died? Based on their coverage at the time, I'd have to say "no."

But Ted forbid we treat Castro unfairly by reporting the facts. And now that you mention it, I haven't heard a single reference to the thousands of political prisoners in Cuban prisons under Castro in any of CNN's coverage. They did mention the fact that he has been repeatedly re-elected, but I don't think they ever mentioned he was essentially unopposed.

That crazy Castro! You gotta love him--or else CNN will fire you.