- #1
Thread Owner
I can remember when this wasn't something you would actually ask someone, it wasn't even a question. All of the newscasts on every channel was more or less the same. You got all of the news the best they could tell it plainly. If it was a local show you might get a bit less world or national news to make room for some local flavor as well as the weather.
But now, there is not just "the news". You turn to MSNBC and see Keith Olbermann and easily feel a tug towards a certain line of thinking, a different tug if you watch Bill O'Reilly on Fox. Some turn to CNN and that is not without their own slanting depending on the tv "personality". The network news gets less and less about the real news of the day and more about programming and "human interest". And your local newscasts become more about the weather, sports and local color than anything even coming close to real reporting. It is to the point that perhaps the most popular and celebrated "news" show is on a network called of all things Comedy Central, and it's host is celebrated enough for his views and reporting to drive people to start a campaign for him to run for office himself.
Is this what news should be? Should we go forth seeking a show whose slant we agree with to watch? Should we be seeking this area of broadcasting to be about entertainment and not the truth? Was this something born of 9-11 or has it been building to this long before that dark day? And is there anyway back from this and if there is can we, would we even walk that path again?
But now, there is not just "the news". You turn to MSNBC and see Keith Olbermann and easily feel a tug towards a certain line of thinking, a different tug if you watch Bill O'Reilly on Fox. Some turn to CNN and that is not without their own slanting depending on the tv "personality". The network news gets less and less about the real news of the day and more about programming and "human interest". And your local newscasts become more about the weather, sports and local color than anything even coming close to real reporting. It is to the point that perhaps the most popular and celebrated "news" show is on a network called of all things Comedy Central, and it's host is celebrated enough for his views and reporting to drive people to start a campaign for him to run for office himself.
Is this what news should be? Should we go forth seeking a show whose slant we agree with to watch? Should we be seeking this area of broadcasting to be about entertainment and not the truth? Was this something born of 9-11 or has it been building to this long before that dark day? And is there anyway back from this and if there is can we, would we even walk that path again?