CNN Headline News writers are being instructed, according to a memo leaked recently, to include hip-hop terminology in their screen crawls and headlines in order to better reach the youth demographic. But extensive study of the CNN culture indicates there is reason to be concerned about the Atlanta news organization’s ability to accurately understand and use these terms.
Hip-hop phrase: Whack
“Street” meaning: Crazy
Commonly held CNN meaning: Ted Turner
Hip-hop phrase: Honeys
“Street” meaning: Women, esp. attractive ones
Commonly held CNN meaning: News anchor candidates
Hip-hop phrase: Homies
“Street” meaning: Men, .esp. from the neighborhood
Commonly held CNN meaning: People who won’t be invited onto our talk shows
Hip-hop phrase: Flava
“Street” meaning: Style
Commonly held CNN meaning: Jeff Greenfield in an ascot
Hip-hop phrase: Bust a cap
“Street” meaning: Hit with a bullet
Commonly held CNN meaning: Break a hat
Hip-hop phrase: Gettin’ jiggy
“Street” meaning: Showing excitement
Commonly held CNN meaning: Providing aerial coverage of long car chase
Hip-hop phrase: Bling-bling
“Street” meaning: Items that display wealth
Commonly held CNN meaning: Expensive anchor hires from network reject piles
Hip-hop phrase: Fly
“Street” meaning: Sexually attractive
Commonly held CNN meaning: Zipper, esp. one that opens attractive at mention of Paula Zahn
Hip-hop phrase: Representing
“Street” meaning: Posturing
Commonly held CNN meaning: Issuing news releases down-playing Fox News Channel’s lead ratings lead
Hip-hop phrase: Chill
“Street” meaning: Calm down
Commonly held CNN meaning: Put Tucker Carlson anywhere near a camera
Hip-hop phrase: Ill
“Street” meaning: Act inappropriately
Commonly held CNN meaning: Behave like Connie Chung in a pop-culture interview
Hip-hop phrase: 911
“Street” meaning: Emergency
Commonly held CNN meaning: Ratings boost
Hip-hop phrase: 411
“Street” meaning: Information
Commonly held CNN meaning: Seven-month anniversary of 9/11
Hip-hop phrase: Jimmy hat
“Street” meaning: Condom
Commonly held CNN meaning: President Carter’s feed cap
Hip-hop phrase: Dope
“Street” meaning: Cool
Commonly held CNN meaning: The guy who wrote the hip-hop memo
