The lead-up to CNN’s production of “Sailor mom surprises daughter at school” included a somewhat strange warning message that appeared and played for several seconds in bold font against a black background: Watch out — the national anthem’s about to play.
The exact message, The Daily Caller reported: “Please be advised you are about to hear an excerpt of the national anthem.”
The video, meanwhile, included images of children singing and waving American flags, of various military veterans and of emotional shows of individuals holding their hands over their hearts.
The warning was actually a mistake, a CNN spokesman told The Daily Caller.
It stemmed from the company’s policy — a respectful one — that says “The Star-Spangled Banner” can only be played on CNN productions in its entirety. The employee who put up the warning for the “Sailor mom” video was actually giving an advisement that the national anthem was being excerpted — not that it was simply being played.
“The graphic was included in error and has been removed,” the spokesman said to The Daily Caller. “The video remains on the site.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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