CNN’s Jake Tapper Criticizes Hollywood’s Submission To China

Jake Tapper, CNN’s anchor, dedicated Tuesday’s recurring segment “Behind China’s Wall” to criticizing Hollywood studios’ self-censorship in order to avoid offending officials in Beijing. Tapper did not mention WarnerMedia, CNN’s parent company for its complicity in China appeasing.

Tapper, who was presenting Tuesday’s “The Lead” broadcast, explained how Hollywood studios are now puppets of CCP — something conservative media outlets, as well as politicians, have been trying to make clear for years.

He said Tuesday that “Today, we’re going take a look at how the Chinese government in fact censors much what comes out the Hollywood movie industry.” They don’t do it through direct control. They do this through their immense economic leverage and fear from studios about missing out on a market with 1.4 billion people.

Tapper and Erich Schwartzel (Wall Street Journal reporter) discussed Paramount’s upcoming sequel to Top Gun. Paramount removed the Taiwanese flag from Tom Cruise’s jacket in order not to offend China. MGM’s Red Dawn remake in 2012 by Erich Schwartzel was also discussed. It changed the storyline from a Chinese invasion to one of North Korea’s invasions.

Tapper did not bring up WarnerMedia’s complicity in China-friendly behavior.

WarnerMedia allowed Chinese streamers access to Lady Gaga’s appearance in the Friends reunion special. This was due to Lady Gaga’s support for Tibet’s Dalai Lama. China-owned Legendary Pictures has released several movies, including Dune and Godzilla Vs. King Kong. In the 2013 film Gravity, China was even the hero of the studio.

TimeWarner announced in 2013 a lucrative partnership to China Media Capital (CMC), which is a media company whose content has been subject to censorship from the CCP.

CNN has praised China in recent reporting. CNN included a glowing story on the 100th anniversary of the CCP that glorified Chinese president-dictator Xi Jinping. CNN was dubbed the “Chinese News Network” after it received widespread ridicule.