[Tuco]

I think it is time to divide news into separate news and entertainment divisions. The way it stands now I can hardly stand to watch Fox, CNBC, or CNN with its sensationalized celebrity news and hand picked crime stories only made extraordinary by the fact they they are reported on endlessly.

Is anyone else sick of this soft journalism that seems to rely entirely on drama? Where is the hard news? I'm interested in what is happening with leaders of the world and major issues that are important for an informed and participatory citizenry.

I have all but given up on televised news, but I think that the print media is only marginally better. Oh well, it's not like this has happened overnight, but I think it is only getting worse.

Goodbye news, hello infotainment.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by Tuco

I think it is time to divide news into separate news and entertainment divisions. The way it stands now I can hardly stand to watch Fox, CNBC, or CNN with its sensationalized celebrity news and hand picked crime stories only made extraordinary by the fact they they are reported on endlessly.

Is anyone else sick of this soft journalism that seems to rely entirely on drama? Where is the hard news? I'm interested in what is happening with leaders of the world and major issues that are important for an informed and participatory citizenry.

I have all but given up on televised news, but I think that the print media is only marginally better. Oh well, it's not like this has happened overnight, but I think it is only getting worse.

Goodbye news, hello infotainment.

The major news outlets have been broadcasting propoganda for decades--its only tit for tat that the cable news outlets are now doing the same!

[Big-K]

It's because people buy into it. They report on what will get them ratings/customers.

[teengeekgrrl]

It is sick- the Michael Jackson case is a perfect example. I want to know what is going on in my area. I want to hear stuff that matters. Not that the Jacko case doesn't matter, but it does not matter nearly as much as the mmedia is making it out to be. Report on more child molesters and other criminals, not more of Jacko.

[lighthouse]

There are many things wrong with reporting as far as some networks or publications are concerned.

A few tips could be........ 1) Ignore or take with a very large pinch of salt any story that concerns someone who is in jail. This is likely to be completely fictitious or at least very spurious because control of the story is going to be the total preserve of the prison authorities or some other so called 'source'. After all, as the person is in prison and not available to the public how can the story be corroborated? It can't, and we now have a long list of all sorts of 'Personalities' ripe for daily juxtaposition or exumation as and when the spin machine dictates. (Peter Sutcliffe, Rosemary West, Myra Hindley, Ian Huntley, 'Hook' or Abu Hamsa are a few UK examples).

2) The media generally ignored a tip-off from an arabic news agency 2 weeks before the september 11th attack in NYC so they are either not bothered by any potential earth shattering news event or too busy engaging in the above to have the time! Either that or simply getting the next batch of celebratocracy stories together to take much notice. They aren't as 'ear to the ground' as you might think.

3) Much of what you read, see, or hear is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and you're not going to be told very much - not really. Remember that the world is becoming not much more than some big editorial production now anyway so be aware that there is a lot of manipulation going on in the information process.

4) The key word in media content is 'Schmooze' - which is when a hired publicist wines and dines editors, producers, showbiz correspondants, music journos etc to gain favourable publicity for their clients (and perhaps non-favourable stuff for any others). I'm not sure to what extent inducements are made, but 50s US DJ Alan Freed was prosecuted under the 'payola' laws which involved taking payments for playing certain record company bands. How this would extend to journalism is difficult to assess but the cabal of editors, publicists, PR companies and the like is a very close knit one.

5) If you took the content as an indication of how they live their lives you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were strictly monogamous, tea total, religious types who live in some utopia somewhere. They aren't, and you'd be very hard pressed to find one who lives up to the 'lifestyle' their particular publication propagates.

Get a copy of "Don't believe what you read" by the Boomtown Rats or "News of the world" by the Jam for what some music people had to say about media gamery.

[angelize56]

It gets tiring when police chases in California take up the news channel for hours..like on Fox yesterday! *YAWN*

[lighthouse]

Exactly, and usually when you've seen one of these 'Police Camera' type things you've probably seen them all. While all this is using up the airtime there are other genuinely positive things going on in the world that get no publicity at all. The other unfortunate thing about media practice of recent years is that they can't or won't respond to the positive, which is why much of our 'infotainment' is actually the same depressingly familiar stories. Just different casting in the same old production. Zzzzzzzzzz! LOL

[Big-K]

We need more of these in the news.

[WarC]

Oh yeah, most TV news lacks depth in reporting, and concentrates on sensational stuff. The evening news is sometimes more like "Exciting Death Watch"...We get to hear about all the horrible ways a handful of people died today!!

Like everyone else has mentioned, I think they just serve up what most people want to watch. I don't think too many people are concerned about whats really going on in the world...So why should the media?! The TV is for short attention spans heh heh...I just go online for my news. Just my thoughts.

[lighthouse]

Big K - is that a still from a fictional TV series about TV news that you guys get in the US? I hope so, because if that's the real news programme I think I'd listen to the radio. Ah - but then you'll get Rush Limbaugh type shows there, so - erm - NPR anyone?

I worked with a Canadian earlier this year and she said that our media in the UK is more tacky than theirs, and she was expecting it to be the other way round. Sad that the country that gave the world some of the most influential cultural exports of the last 600 years or so has descended to that isn't it!

[burf]

I agree. The criteria for "news" is not very strict. I can't believe the nightly news anchors talk for 5 minutes about last night's television shows (example: American Idol) Who would've ever thought news reporters would really care about the new candle store opening in Glendale. For that matter, who would care about a news reporter standing in 8 inches of water to show us it is raining? Dumb.

[angelize56]

LH: That's from the movie "Anchorman"!

[teengeekgrrl]

yes it is! Never seen the movie, but recognize the hair from the ads.

[Big-K]

I myself havn't seen it either.

[linskyjack]

If you really want to understand how the news business operates, watch that film Network--with Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway--a scathing yet incredibly accurate look at the nexus between money and journalism.