The story `` put CNN on the map , '' said former Beijing bureau chief Mike Chinoy . Reporters had flooded Beijing to cover the visit of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev . For the first time , a TV network beamed its own live pictures from China . It was an unprecedented moment in television history and it helped launch CNN's global reputation as one of the most trusted news sources for viewers around the world.
The story `` put CNN on the map , '' said former Beijing bureau chief Mike Chinoy . Reporters had flooded Beijing to cover the visit of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev . For the first time , a TV network beamed its own live pictures from China . As protests grew , Chinese authorities ordered CNN to stop transmitting .