No News is Bad News for News Media
I have gotten out of the habit of watching television news. It all started when I realized that the morning national news shows had ten minutes of news and then three hours of fluff and entertainment news. I mean, who really cares where Matt Lower is?
At that point I turned off the news at 7am. Then I realized that the local TV news that was on before the national news was all traffic reports, mattress and car commercials. I no longer watch that either. So then I went to the radio for news, and found that lacking as well. Last week I was in to position to read the Orgonian every day, and found that too was lacking.
It then dawned on me that there really isn’t any news out there. It isn’t that the news organizations aren’t reporting anything, they are, when ever news happens, but nothing interesting happens. This is why there is a feeding frenzy when something does eventually happen. It’s sad to see that the biggest feeding frenzies are now around entertainers. It sure takes the pressure off the politicians. They have learned to play their hand close to their vests and if caught be evasive and hope a starlet dies or goes to jail which will deflect the spotlight from them.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 5:39 AM
10 Comments:
Interesting. I was jumping around to the media websites all day yesterday because I'm a junkie and I was just bored with it all. It's all fluff and no substance--all the same 10 AP releases or freaky Dateline type crime stories--if it's not going to get ratings, they don't talk about it and how sexy is say, what's going on at the G8 or whatever. This morning, my paper had a FRONT PAGE story and the entire back page of section 1 dedicated to the very important celebrity release from LA County Jail. It also is full of releases I read days ago online. I've been paying for the paper strictly for the Parade section and the advice columns in Sunday's paper, and I'm giving that up when it's expired. I'd much rather read Salon and its in-depth articles on issues and culture anyday. They don't cut the politician's any slack and were more people to read those types of sites, I'm quite sure Bush would not still be in office.
That is exactly why I don't watch the news or read the paper. I listen to NPR for most of the day and I watch the Daily Show and the Cobert Report.
I think there's a combination of reasons why this is happening. Twenty-four seven is a lot of time to fill for the news networks, nobody really likes to be bombarded with reality news (like Darfur and starving, AIDS infected people in third world countries, and trafficking in drugs and sex slaves, etc.), the "bad" guys are going to a lot of trouble to hide or slant their smarminess, and this country demands news people who look like movie stars (and sometimes they just aren't all that smart even though they have perfect teeth and hair!)
I do have to admit that watching or listening to the BBC almost puts me to sleep. But I agree that our "News" just isn't anymore.
My favorite illustration is our local radio station, KAST, that parks a recorder at every city council and port commission meeting then re-plays it during the news broadcast instead of re-capping it themselves. You can't hear half of what is said, and the half that you can hear is sometimes just plain riduculous--not newsworthy! I simply cannot believe that they think this is responsible reporting.
Lori, the net is where it is at, but there, too is a lot of problem or potential of reporting to the like minded.
Zoe, I am so with you on John Stewart and Steven Colbert. I plan my evenings around seeing both shows. Though they call themselves "fake news" it is the most honest reporting going on today.
Anon, That is an example of lazy reporting, it's like throwing slop on the table and saying feed your selves. I'm also disgusted by how outlets like the Daily Astorian will accept stories from their friends and disregard the facts. As you probably know that they have sided with their scoop master, the DA, and the County position is being ignored. I'd like to see the County stop giving press releases to the Daily Astorian as retalliation. Give the scoops to the Seaside Signal and KMUN and let them do some real reporting. Better yet, they should give the scoops to Astoria Rust and see what sort of fun I'll have with them.
Our local(sorta)TV channels have 1 that has about 5 minutes of real news. Our paper does tend to stick with real stories and put the P. Hilton crap in the entertainment news, where it belongs.
It then dawned on me that there really isn’t any news out there. It isn’t that the news organizations aren’t reporting anything, they are, when ever news happens, but nothing interesting happens.
No, that's not it either.
There's plenty of news. They could fill their airtime with all the political shenanigans going on just in our own country - and still not cover it all.
It's just that most people don't care how politicians are messing up our country, as long as they can pretend it doesn't affect themselves.
In other words ... the media knows that the vast majority of people don't want to know the news.
Mike, it's the little news organizations who are able to still do this. They just haven't figured out or maybe don't care that trash sells.
Walt, that leaves the question, just how much news do people desire. Somehow the Today Show may be exactly what people want, unfortunately. I like I.N.N. on Free Speech TV, but even they at too over the top with the left leaning stuff.
If you really want to see something interesting:
Outsourcing the news business overseas
The national news is falling on its sword without realizing it. While Paris dominated the news, we passed the 3500 soldier dead in Iraq. While we watched Paris go from her estate to jail, hundreds died in Darfur. That they chose not to report it just shows that news departments are no longer about news, but revenue. But ironically, they'll get neither once they go under.
I love listening to the BBC, and looking to the Internet for other information. My blood pressure skyrockets watching network news, even CNN is drivel.
Holy crap, Rich. Looks bad, really bad.
Mo3, I think it all started the day the first USA Today rolled off the presses. It's been downhill ever since.
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