Twitterverse Not Happy with CNN.com

One of the powers of Twitter is to be able to create a trend – good or bad. In the case of CNN.com’s coverage of the aftermath of the Iranian election – it’s been mostly bad.

The hashtag #cnnfail was created by users to Tweet their displeasure with the lack of coverage Saturday. The trending topic continues to be one of the most popular this morning. A sampling:

@gtbell: Never thought it would happen. Where are you CNN?
@ericgrant: Remember when CNN would stay up all night covering wars? Too bad the people of Iran aren’t as important
@angrywhitedude: CNN, why not just pack it in and admit you’re just another pathetic MSNBC with a left wing agenda?

CNet.com reports:

For most of Saturday, CNN.com had no stories about the massive protests on behalf of Mir Hossein Mousavi, who was reported by the Iranian government to have lost to the sitting president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

It’s odd that CNN would be so late to this story, especially given the criticism it’s getting from the Twitterverse, and given how clued in the network is supposed to be to Twitter.

Even Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at NYU is imploring Howard Kurtz to include #cnnfail in his column tomorrow.

@jayrosen_nyu: Please, @howardkurtz, some reporting on this for your column Monday? #CNNFail: Twitterverse slams network’s Iran absence

Kurtz, a prolific Tweeter, is also host of CNN’s Sunday morning show Reliable Sources which analyzes TV news coverage.

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