The trouble with CNN isn't bias, it's just how ridiculous it, the irrelevancy of many of the stories it covers, and especially the way it rushes to report stuff even if it has not been confirmed.
As for the going the serious route and attracting great journalists, Al Jazeera is already doing this.
But Al Jazeera has a stigma attached to it with many Americans. CNN is still a brand that can sell.
Yes, true, which is why commercial-supported CNN needs to go after this market before commercial-free Al Jazeera has it cornered. I don't disagree with your assessment.
Plus, I'm somewhat conflicted on the topic of Al Jazeera anyway. I really like it, because it has great documentaries and serious newscasts, and it does a great job of giving a voice to those outside the mainstream without going off into conspiracy land; it is the only alternative media outlet I know of that isn't super-biased and/or nutty. On the other hand, I have reservations about it because it is owned by people affiliated with an undemocratic government that got all its money from petroleum. Sometimes, I like to think of its reporting as a kind of rebate for all that money we've spent on Middle Eastern oil.
