Susan Sarandon has something to say about the dissolution of Brangelina — and it's not what you expect. She is taking issue with CNN's coverage of the high-profile divorce. The actress made her feelings known on Twitter. Sarandon screenshotted CNN's homepage, which features a story about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's split. Tweeting the post at CNN, she wrote, "Priorities. #TerrenceCrutcher."
Sarandon clearly believes the network should be prioritizing coverage of Terence Crutcher, the 40-year-old Black man killed by police in Tulsa, OK, yesterday. During the incident, which was caught on video, Crutcher can be seen unarmed and waiting on the side of the road for help with his broken-down car. The Tulsa Police Department is investigating Crutcher's death; today, news broke that the Justice Department has opened its own civil rights investigation.
But, like Sarandon pointed out, that information has been largely overshadowed following Tuesday's bombshell announcement of the A-list couple's split. Is Sarandon right? Should a news outlet like CNN keep hard news front and center? That depends on what you think the media's duty is, and what readers expect when they visit CNN. Brangelina's divorce is pretty big Hollywood news, but odds are that CNN, an internationally reputable source for breaking news, is not where most people turn for celebrity updates.
Sarandon definitely has a point. But in 2016, we have more places to get our news than ever before. If you're unhappy with one media outlet's coverage, there are always others to choose from. It's readers' choice.
.@CNN Priorities. #TerrenceCrutcher pic.twitter.com/c4BMu4N6yO
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) September 20, 2016