Why The News Sucks Crap

[peristaltor]

Yes, people are dead in Colorado. Spectacularly. Rather than dwell on the spectacularness-ness, I'll focus on how most of us know about it. theferrett has it exactly right:

You’re a cable news reporter. You have an ugly choice

Comments

[hardblue]

I imagine all reasonable people understand that the 24-7 cable new networks are winging it, and take the speculations and musings and repetitions with a grain of salt and patience, but many want to stay in touch with this big national crisis, as well as being able to catch any genuinely new information that becomes available. There may even be a communal vibe in it, despite the macabre overtones.

[devil_ad_vocate]

News has always been about money. With newspapers it was about dollars from paid subscriptions, then dollars from advertising. The 24-hour "news" networks are just the latest version of yellow journalism. There are still reliable news sources available; they also exit to make a profit.

[peristaltor]

News has always been about money.

For a brief period, that wasn't necessarily the case. Before cable rose to dominate, the major TV and radio networks and their affiliates treated news as a loss leader. It was mandated by the FCC, but delivered at a minimum. As a result, the news agencies themselves strove to provide the most news in the least amount of time, only a half hour for the national, about as much for local at night.

When profit became the over-riding concern, things changed back to the yellow days, as you note.

[sealwhiskers]

I tried to listen to broadcast news my first year in America, but then I just stopped. Mostly I use the internet.

[oportet]

Not that speculation wouldn't happen anyway, but it doesn't help that his explanation is bullshit. Someone trying to emulate the Joker would at least know what color hair he had.

Would have been more believable to blame Zimmerman or LeBron.

[kylinrouge]

24-hour news networks are just entertainment, and since I find more entertainment from other mediums I don't bother with them.

[rick_day]

+1 in total agreement with this post

[nairiporter]

Speaking your mind and feelings has never been useless, I think you should know that.

[nairiporter]

Blushing... :-)