Republicans & Conservatives: Archives

You are right on.

This is why i have a cynical outlook for the country. 70 % of the tv sets were on some awards show last nite and i could care less.

But, think about what that means, Dawn. News media has spent 100’s of millions of dollars over the decades, and still millions each year today, to determine what will attract viewer, reader, listener attention. It is the American public that is ultimately responsible for what appears in news, and other programming, and what weight those items are given. That is why we need an NPR and C-Span which are dedicated to real news, both headlines and in depth as one finds in some of the better print media.

Dawn,
There was an interview recently with the gentleman that started CNN. His name escapes me now but he was before Ted Turner.
He stated that at one time CNN News was reporter driven. Today it is produceer driven, and the news has suffered because of it.
Think back to the first Gulf war, and how that was reported. Then look how this war is being handled.

News was a loss leader. It wasn’t considered entertainment, and therefore it was supported by the other network programing.
I place the blame on the beancounters.

“Here’s to the pencil pushers, may they all die of lead poisoning”.
From Roger Rabbit.

I remember after the 11th, watching TV and hearing person after person saying ‘This changes everything.’ Claiming that we would never go back to the ‘Gary Condit’ type stories we were obsessed with at that time. That Americans would start to care about the events of the world and that foreign reporting would regain the foothold it once had.

Turns out, not much changed.

And …

These are the same people who stopped showing us the planes hitting the towers and them falling because it would make us ‘too’ angry.

Oh yeah … George.

I didn’t watch that show either - whatever it’s called.
I’ll bet 70% of us tuned in to see if what’s his name was going to slip and say the ‘F’ word.
Not because they cared about the rest of it.

Maybe that was 70 of the 100 Neilson? (however that’s spelled) households.
I don’t know anyone with one of those boxes. Do you?

I’m just glad they didn’t focus on that negative news about Iraq. The administration has finally intimidated them into ignoring it.

Don’t worry, if Micheal is convicted we’ll see some real news. Like South Centeral burning again.

The only time Americans are interested in the World is when they are Liberating something.

Fight the Man, Dawn: change the channel when MJ comes on the screen. Your pocketbook is the only vote they care about (and rightly so); so deny their advertizers your eyes.

Its a sad commentary on the American people- if so many didnt care about this stupid micheal jackson thing, it would not be news. The market responds to demand, and sadly, this is what many (too many) Americans want to see.

Dawn,
I never thought I would say this, but I agree with you. I assume that you were watching Fox News for obvious reasons so it shows that all mainstream media is ridiculous. Like David pointed out, C-Span is excellent. I do care about the Michael Jackson case just for the debate behind it but I would like Court TV to stick with that rather than CNN or Fox News. I find it to be excellent that Lebanon was overthrown. Hopefully the Israelites will overthrow Ariel Sharon and his thugs and then we will see major business. It is a shame though that the Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson cases cover more of the news rather than foreign and domestic policy. It is like I tell voters. Voting is overrated as petition and campaigning for and against certain legislation and presenting it to Congressional represenatives are doing your true duty. Unfortunately, Americans generally tend to work to much, think to little, and bitch a whole lot.

Dawn,

I also never thought I’d say this either. I also completely agree with you.

Julia

This is exactly why, as broadband and its streaming video(the one advantage TV still has over the Internet) become more accessible, the networks will gradually fade out of relevance. There may be a place for it in serial entertainment, but the days of TV news will soon disappear.

Leon and Julia,

I just knew eventually we would find something to agree on !

Yes I turned the channel each time it came on - whichever channel.
It wasn’t just Fox - the 15 minute update on MSNBC was doing it all evening. They were all talking about it at one point, CNN, FOX , MSNBC, Headline News, CNBC — I couldn’t get away from it!!!!! No kidding - they all had the ‘story’ in the same segment !
‘Bachelorette’ was beginning to look like a good choice !!!

O’Reilly’s question of the night was “Do you care about the Michael Jackson Trial?”
I am hoping it is something like 90% NO!
He says it is because they really need to know if they are giving the story too much airtime - 10 seconds is too much for me!

What is the story, there, anyway? “Michael Jackson - Still On Trial?”

And we know who’s fault it will be, dont we Ron Brown.
Not his or South Centrals, yet again.

The terrorists wage a propaganda war alongside of their terrorist attacks and the U.S. does nothing to counter.

Why doesn’t the U.S. declare Zarqawi dead. Let him prove he lives and claiming responsibility for some horrendous deed is no proof.
The U.S. media makes claims of misinformation by the coalition. The coalition must deny the claim, yet continue to use misinformation as a tool to keep the terrorists off guard.
( is this off subject?)

Dawn,
I feel your pain. :^)
For quite a while now I haven’t been expecting to get comprehensive news from the TV because all we generally get is a quick overview of the days top stories, and a lot of the kind of mindless info-tainment crap you’ve been describing. Sometimes I am amazed by the items they consider the most important stories of the day.
I find I have to read online to keep current on actual news. I look at American newspaper websites first, then several foreign ones, and then finally I go to a few of my favorite websites (some of which I receive as newsletters in my e-mail box that give direct links) and blogs to read the kind of stories that often fall through the cracks.
I also often buy newspapers to read on the subway or at lunchtime - and these I like to vary. Sometimes I just get my local paper to soak up the cultural stuff: music reviews, upcoming art and music shows and events, etc. Other times I get foreign newspapers (luckily I’ve got access to a newstand with a wide selection) when world events are taking place, or American papers like the Chicago Sun Times, or The Boston Globe, The NYT, Washington Post, etc. when national news is on my mind. It’s one hell of lot of reading, but I find I have to do it, or risk feeling uninformed.

David:
“That is why we need an NPR and C-Span which are dedicated to real news, both headlines and in depth as one finds in some of the better print media.”

I totally agree - and hurray, no commericals!

We hold a trial to determine guilt or innocence. I don’t like these celebrity trials treated like sporting events. The guilty should suffer and the innocent go free. Rotten lawyers.

It reminds me of one of my favorite http:/www.theonion.com articles. THe headline was something like “Overworked judicial system asks press to try cases.” (Except it was pithier and funnier, but you get the idea).

Julia

Dawn,

I’m encourage to be able to say also, that I absolutely agree with you!

I rarely comment on local news in my personal blog, because it infuriates me to watch local Chicago news. The two major daily newspapers are no better, one is quite out of touch, while the other is patronizing and dumbed down.

What we are now seeing on network/cable channels, is what I call the ‘Access Hollywood-ization’ of broadcast news program. They’re populated with more model type ‘talking heads’, with piercing blue-eyed, GQ style anchors and perfectly coiffed, big hair blond anchorettes with glistening lipstick and plunging neckline.

The contrast when I’m watching BBC World News (increasingly), is startling. They would invariably mention the Jackson trial, but the Iraqi bloodshed and upheaval in Lebanon would lead their broadcast.

Bert,

I tried to count the blondes but I just can’t count that high.
They may be talking but they aren’t using their heads.
Even the men by the way. I can’t remember his name - I guess because I don’t care for him - but this guy says uh huh, uh huh, while the guest is talking and I know he isn’t listening. He is just trying to look good for the camera and concentrating on his next question.
It is unbelievable some of the questions asked of the guests. I especially like it when the person says something and the interviewer follows with a question that was just answered.

Josh,

I found out the reason the ‘MJ Trial’ is headline news.
It is because he does not have a jury of his ‘peers’.
Can someone tell me who his ‘peers’ would be?
‘Peers’ would be people that are similar - right?

YEAH! We know kctim, It will be the fault of a justice system that has the nerve to put a Black celeberity child molester on trial, and the jury the has the guts to convict him.

Dawn, just like we agreed about almost every issue in the campaign (except who to vote for), we’re in agreement on this one too. From a proud Democrat to a closet Democrat: good article. ;)

This is nothing new. I remember a day when we were getting the results from the Iraqi election in, the president’s state of the union adress had just finished, the president announced he was going on a nation-wide tour for social security reform, the economy took a sudden, unexplainable jump and an important terrorist leader was captured.

What was the news talking about?

Well, they all led with a three-day old crash at Titaburrough which killed no one, had an easily explainable cause and did only minor damage.

The major networks did major work-ups, recreations, ‘expert’ analysis and long pieces on the history of these aircraft and crashes. WB11, in a typical display of bias, did a twenty-minute smeer piece on the airport and the FAA.

Not ONCE did they mention any of the other stories I mentioned.

And on top of it all - they claim that these stories are what we want.
I do not recall anyone asking me if I wanted to hear continuous live coverage about Martha, Michael, Scott, and a ‘three-day old crash at Titaburrough’.
Poor Michael. His headline has been taken away and given to Martha because she is going home with her new ankle bracelet and a new haircut.