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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 5 May 2017
CNN’s Van Jones signs with

Jay Z’s firm for activism

DAVID BAUDER fall, both for his discussion of too.
AP Television Writer a “whitelash” that helped “It doesn’t matter if you’re
NEW YORK (AP) — Trying to Trump and an electric talking about someone
bridge the partisan divide confrontation with former who is poor from Appala-
remains Van Jones’ vision Trump campaign manager chia or someone who just
even if it was the source and then-CNN analyst Co- lost their job in the Rust Belt,
of one of his roughest mo- rey Lewandowski (“Corey, there’s very little room in
ments on CNN. you’re a horrible person the liberal imagination for
Jones, host of “The Messy right now”). Jones hasn’t straight white guys to be
Truth” who announced his seen or talked to Lewan- the good guy, and that’s a
In this April 28, 2017 file photo, Van Jones, host of “The Messy
Truth with Van Jones” appears after an interview in New York. affiliation with Jay Z’s Roc dowski since that night. problem,” he said. “Liberals
Associated Press Nation management firm He has a more respect- have gotten, some section
on Thursday, took heat ful relationship with Jeffrey of liberals, uncomfortable
from fellow liberals for prais- Lord, CNN’s current Trump with opposing views.”
ing President Trump’s salute point-person. “He amazes The point of “The Messy
to the widow of a Navy me with the creativity of his Truth” is to get people with
SEAL in a speech before nonsense,” Jones said. opposing views speaking
Congress on Feb. 28. Trump Jones’ “Messy Truth” has to one another.
“became president of the tried to harness some of the Jones describes the show
United States in that mo- star power Jones earned as “a mash-up of Phil Do-
ment,” Jones said. during the campaign, nahue, with the live audi-
From the reaction, you Zucker said. The show is on ence, Anthony Bourdain,
would have thought that hiatus as Jones finishes a where I’m going out into
the Yale-educated lawyer book, but Zucker said he the countryside and dis-
who was drummed out of hoped it airs two or three covering America, and a
the Obama administration times a month when it re- little bit of televangelism,
by Republican critics had sumes. “He’s articulate, where I get to do a little
joined the Freedom Cau- he’s passionate and he’s preaching.”
cus. The liberal web site smart, and that’s a great He displayed that side at
the Daily Kos called it the combination,” Zucker said. a Manhattan church one
type of punditry “that was “He’s not afraid to say day last week, speaking to
partially responsible for the what’s on his mind and he’s a group of political activ-
election of a man who is a not afraid to break with or- ists. Clearly familiar with a
clear and present danger thodoxy.” In Jones’ mind, preacher’s cadence, he
for America.” the country has moved locked the audience in to
Jones had a more direct beyond partisanship into his vision of peaceful po-
confrontation on a New a form of tribalism. He re- litical combat. “I want to
York City street, with a man called that when he joined be better,” he said. “Not
who accused him of trying Instagram and followed bitter.”His activist goals
to be even-handed at a hundreds of liberal friends, explain the new affiliation
time of good vs. evil. his feed was a comfort- with Roc Nation, where he
Jones believes the flap was able reflection of what he hopes to give more atten-
a product of clickbait cul- believed in. But that frus- tion to work that isn’t talked
ture and the raw feelings of trated him. He made sure about much on cable TV.
Democrats. to add some conservative He works on several initia-
“It showed some of the in- voices to get a different tives: helping young peo-
securities and anxieties of perspective.“If you come ple from underrepresented
the liberals who were con- in only saying one side is backgrounds find work in
vinced that if even one great and the other side the tech sector, helping
pundit said one kind thing is terrible, you’re going to train San Quentin inmates
about Trump than we’d miss a whole bunch,” Jones for media work, fighting
have Hitler, that everything said. “You can never say, ‘I pollution to water supplies
was at stake, and any kind disagree with these guys, and other areas that affect
of nuance was just the road but on these two points, families, and seeking to
to fascism in America,” they’re 100 percent right. reduce the prison popula-
Jones said. “When you’re And on these two points, tion. He’ll soon announce
in that kind of mind state, we’re really, really stretch- a national tour for his “Love
then you jump at a lot of ing it.’ Army” movement.
shadows.” You can’t have a healthy Jones inspires the dialogue
His boss, CNN Worldwide democracy” without the that is necessary for making
President Jeff Zucker, said ability to do that.Conser- change, said Jay Z, adding
he believed the criticism vatives need to own up to Roc Nation is honored to
was unfair and illustrated where their leaders are not support his initiatives.
a lack of tolerance that is defending conservative “Van’s immense capacity
one of the problems with principles and, for exam- for empathy builds bridg-
politics today. ple, speak out against in- es,” he said.Sounds like the
Jones was perhaps the terference by the Russians. groundwork for accom-
most memorable media Liberals have to take stock plishments that can fuel a
figure of election night last of their own weaknesses, political career, right?q