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Stupid is as stupid does: Anti-press rant

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OSU_Buckguy;817974; said:
we have the choice, though, of whether we want to be a member of their audience. [/quote]

Your last point strikes me as the most important. The media would not be providing this content if their ratings were dropping.

I see a couple of points you raised a bit differently and thought I might share my views as a patriotic American living outside the US.

In practice, the news media that Americans experience may be less open than other countries due to popular programming formats and media concentration. I can watch live, uncensored news on CNN, BBC, Sky News, CCTV4 (China), CBS, NBC, Russian TV, Bloomberg, RAI (Italy), IQRAA (Middle East), ERT (Greece), among others. This would be true for many surrounding African countries. Even my CNN is different and has more world content than the CNN shown in America. We all have uncensored internet too.

In my mind, this is an American success story. We convinced the world of the need for uncensored media access and many countries now have it. I find it troubling that "slick" marketing and managerial decisions now deprive Americans of that same exposure.

It was not always this way, at least not in the 1960s or 1970s. It also is not that way today in many other foreign countries. For instance, South African TV news services showed a couple of cuts of Cho's message and they dropped the story as a centrepiece of the news.

It was right for the news services to broadcast this story but it has now far far exceeded any perspective.

When you consider that the number of people dying from AIDS in South Africa exceeds the death toll that would result from three 747's hitting the ground every day, it gives you a perspective that one doesn't get watching American TV news. The people dying are poor and rural but they are no less human, no less our brothers and sisters.

Even here, it is easy to live without noticing their passing. I can't help but feel that there is something very wrong about that.
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IMO, when "news" became a "for profit" endeavor sometime early/mid-nineties is when we got what we have now. A bunch of drama club actress/actor wannabes reading cue cards. News used to be a "public service" by the big networks. Decisions were based on the importance of the story, not ratings...I also think Watergate ruined a lot of what "news" was supposed to be. This whole idea of "reporter as hero" has fucked up a lot of what used to be good, professional journalists. I remember hearing a poll of journalist students asking "why they decided on journalism"? The number one answer was "I want to change the world". That's not your job douchebags, that's mine and all the rest of ours, once we have been given meaningful and accurate information. I will not go into a full-on rant here because it will only bore people, but I have very good, personal reasons to despise these misery chasing tragedy whores...
 
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Steve19;818049; said:
In practice, the news media that Americans experience may be less open than other countries due to popular programming formats and media concentration.
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what the average american experiences is different from what the average american can experience. one can receive almost any print publication and can even watch almost any news program, provided that one has satellite or the appropriate internet feed. there is no doubt, however, that the most available news sources in america are also the most watered down and simplified. if only we had a 24-hour "60 minutes" network, save the curmudgeon.
I find it troubling that "slick" marketing and managerial decisions now deprive Americans of that same exposure.
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i don't believe that any news entity deprives americans. i think they deprive themselves.
It was right for the news services to broadcast this story but it has now far far exceeded any perspective.
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the reader/viewer has the choice to turn the channel or flip the page. if all of the news channels are showing the same story, again, there is always the internet and newspapers that offer more news. i won't excuse apathy.
When you consider that the number of people dying from AIDS in South Africa exceeds the death toll that would result from three 747's hitting the ground every day, it gives you a perspective that one doesn't get watching American TV news. The people dying are poor and rural but they are no less human, no less our brothers and sisters.
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deaths in our country or of our own countrymen will always outweigh deaths elsewhere. you cannot deny proximity and association.
 
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Saw31;818057; said:
IMO, when "news" became a "for profit" endeavor sometime early/mid-nineties is when we got what we have now. A bunch of drama club actress/actor wannabes reading cue cards. News used to be a "public service" by the big networks. Decisions were based on the importance of the story, not ratings...I also think Watergate ruined a lot of what "news" was supposed to be. This whole idea of "reporter as hero" has fucked up a lot of what used to be good, professional journalists. I remember hearing a poll of journalist students asking "why they decided on journalism"? The number one answer was "I want to change the world". That's not your job douchebags, that's mine and all the rest of ours, once we have been given meaningful and accurate information. I will not go into a full-on rant here because it will only bore people, but I have very good, personal reasons to despise these misery chasing tragedy whores...
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excellent post.

i actively seek to avoid the news and have now for so long it isn't funny.

i didn't watch one second of the OJ trial.

i don't think i have watched more than a minute of CNN, foxnews, or headline news in the last decade.

never watch the local news.

don't get the paper. only read the paper if i know i am going to be stuck somewhere like a plane.

i do seek out the news i am concerned about (i.e. the stuff that actually impacts my life) on the internet.

couldn't be happier.

i recommend this to people all the time and they always look at my like i am crazy. maybe if i had pants on when making this point people would take me seriously.
 
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Dirty Laundry, by Don Henley -- originally released in 1982

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry

Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I dont have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
Comes on at five
She can tell you bout the plane crash with a gleam
In her eye
Its interesting when people die-
Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a
Running bet
Get the widow on the set!
We need dirty laundry

You dont really need to find out whats going on
You dont really want to know just how far its gone
Just leave well enough alone
Eat your dirty laundry

Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre stiff
Kick em all around

Dirty little secrets
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybodys pie
We love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry

We can do the innuendo
We can dance and sing
When its said and done we havent told you a thing
We all know that crap is king
Give us dirty laundry!
 
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I agree about the whole "news as entertainment" BS that is infesting our society, but it also shows the extraordinarily shallow mindset of most Americans. Most people are too lazy to read anything besides US, or able to have an informed discussion on world events-and if they do, it is simply parroting whatever they heard Jon Stewart or Rush Limbaugh say the day before. Some rock star might start bitching about the Iraq War, but neither they, nor their fans could explain the history of Iraq regarding the partition, or tell the difference between a Sunni or a Shi'ite.
Americans can say they "Bush sucks", but couldn't give you a coherent ideological basis for their beliefs, they just heard Lala say it on MTV.
 
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