CNN effect

English Etymology Coined during the first Gulf War when unusually large numbers of people were watching the CNN network news, which provided 24-hour coverage of the war. Proper noun en media economics The theorized negative effect on the economy, and other aspects of social life, caused by people staying home to watch television news during a crisis such as a war. en The New York Times Fear of terrorism is curbing travel 1/28/2003 Eben Shapiro Concern about flying anywhere is the reason most often given for canceling trips. But some people say they are staying home for other reasons as well. Some potential travelers are riveted to their television sets, captivated by the constant news reports about the war, a condition that some people are calling the “CNN effect.” en Los Angeles Times Leading Indicators Index to Be Posted 5/19/2003 “We could see some more profit taking as retailers release somewhat tepid results, since the quarter included bad winter weather and the CNN effect,” said Tim Ghriskey of Ghriskey Capital Partners, a money manager in Bedford Hills, N.Y. en The Boston Globe Rentals off to a slow start 5/25/2003 Chris Reidy Uncertainty over the outcome in Iraq and the so-called CNN effect, which had folks glued to the TV for news, made for an unusually quiet spring for summer vacation rental agents. en The Guardian #BringBackOurGirls: the verdict 6/3/2014 Suzanne Franks In the 21st century, the "CNN effect" has been replaced by the Twitter effect. en New York Times Strong Sales at Walmart, Home Depot and TJX 11/17/2015 Hiroko Tabuchi Oliver Chen, a retail analyst at Cowen, warned of what he called a “CNN effect” of consumers becoming more frugal with holiday purchases, and devoting more attention to news watching. Further reading