When I started ’CNN ’ I made the decision to stay out of endorsing candidates, and let the doers make up their own minds about politics, that it wasn’t going to come from me.

Turner frames CNN’s founding ethos as one of institutional neutrality: the network would provide information and access rather than act as a political actor through endorsements. The remark also reflects a broader tension in American media between journalism as a public service (informing citizens so they can decide) and journalism as advocacy (using institutional voice to influence outcomes). By emphasizing “let the doers make up their own minds,” Turner positions viewers as responsible agents and casts endorsements as an intrusion of owner/publisher power into democratic choice. Implicitly, the quote defends credibility and audience trust as strategic assets for a news organization—especially one trying to establish legitimacy in a competitive, politically charged environment.