The reports from yesterday's CNN "State of the Company" meeting are in! Well, "is" in, from one garrulous tipster. But we should also take this opportunity to thank all those CNN mavens who wrote in to correct the spelling of Ken Jautz's name and expound on his boldfaciness - thank you for reading, and writing, and caring.

Okay! Here's the intel:

• Jon Klein failed to inspire our tipster, who wanted answers, dammit. Klein said that CNN must "connect with our audience, really deliver to them." Said our tipster: "Um. Okay. And how do we do that?" He's still waiting.
  
• Did the F-word come up? That would be "Fox" and yes, it did. Said our tipster: "Klein and Walton love to mention that, though CNN has less 'viewers', our audience is 'smarter'" (we're sure that does a lot for 'ratings').
  
• Anonymous questions included: "How are we going to make more money?" (Um, tipster did not elaborate, possibly because panel did not elaborate. Maybe by "really delivering to viewers?"). Other questions: "Are we going to bring all of CNN's headquarters to NYC?" (No). "Why did the 7 and 10pm spots switch?" "Who's that weird chick who was creeping around our hallowed halls last week?" (No way - so Anderson WAS there!!!)
  
• Were Miles and Soledad cute and fun? Affirmative. Soledad came out into the audience with the mike to take questions. Our tipster happened to be sitting next to her and picked her notes up for her every time she dropped them, which it seems happened a few times.
  
• Our brave tipster asked a question, strraight to news prexy Jim Walton:

  "CNN is a News gathering organization, but it's also part of a bigger corporation. The corporation needs to meet its' needs by hitting its bottom line, satisfying its share-holders and generating ad revenue. The News organization needs to report the truth to people and keep the public informed. If there's a conflict of interest with these needs, which one takes top priority, and how do you address these issues?"
  
  He gave me the typical song and dance about how no one's told what to cover or not cover, and there are NO I repeat NO conflicts of interest between the corporation and the news organization. Great. All settled then. The real answer came next, when he brought up shareholders, stocks, meeting our bottom line and generating more and more ad revenue.

  Our tipster thinks that's code for "if there's a conflict of interest, the company --and not the viewer -- takes precedence." Don't scoff; we just saw an example of that with the New York Times and its inability to objectively and dispassionately cover the Judy Miller story, which may yet turn out to be part of one of the biggest stories of the Bush administration. But as far as Jim Walton said, purpose and profit remain separate. Okay then.
  
• We buried the lede, but in our view this is the crux of this report (and what we know TVNewser will pull): "When asked what outside show they'd like to bring in, Jim Watson and Jon Klein answered simultaneously, without hesitation... Jon said "60 Minutes" and Jim said "The Daily Show". When pressed about the Daily Show and told by Myles that it isn't a news show, Jim simply replied, "but it IS a news show."

  Interesting. Jim Walton is clearly a smart man; he gets that the glib and misleading appellation of "fake news" really means "real news delivered in a send-up of a serious newscast." (Miles, give us your wrist. SLAP.) Walton also clearly sees (a) the ratings (1.4 million on cable); but more importantly (b) the cred. The Daily Show is honest, and entertaining, and informative, and it delivers. What CNN show even comes close? (Hint: I've said it before, CNN: look to blogs for inspiration. Funny, well-informed, definite point of view. If a blog can get an audience, so can a TV show.)
  

• It lasted from 12:30 - 2 pm. They weren't fed. There was a stampede for the cafeteria afterwards, which is up on the 10th floor with a gorgeous view of Central Park. Then, everyone returned to their desks.