The sad state of American News

[parnold]

I've been listening to live broadcasts a good part of the day from Egypt, and watching live video feeds of the protests going on there. (not US sponsered btw)

One of my fellow workers (he works for ME actually) complained that I should just watch the evening news when I get home. Apparently the background talking distracted him. (this is an office with 5 people on the phone all day)

I did hear about Tiger Woods birdie today, and a nice report on Jessica Simson's new jean style, and of course Charlie Sheen's latest incident with 5 women and a briefcase full of cocaine. Those were the big topics of the American news channel.

Is it any wonder my TV at home is usually on the food network, or DIY network. It is sad how poorly the American news channels do.

[rebapuck]

Well, we all gotta know what to wear tomorrow.

[planovet]

Charlie Sheen's latest incident with 5 women and a briefcase full of cocaine.

[legojenn]

I've been listening to live broadcasts a good part of the day from Egypt, and watching live video feeds of the protests going on there. (not US sponsered btw)

One of my fellow workers (he works for ME actually) complained that I should just watch the evening news when I get home. Apparently the background talking distracted him. (this is an office with 5 people on the phone all day)

I did hear about Tiger Woods birdie today, and a nice report on Jessica Simson's new jean style, and of course Charlie Sheen's latest incident with 5 women and a briefcase full of cocaine. Those were the big topics of the American news channel.

Is it any wonder my TV at home is usually on the food network, or DIY network. It is sad how poorly the American news channels do.

I pulled the plug on cable.satellite TV a few years ago. It's healthier.

[LDK]

With all that going on in egypt, keep an eye on the gas prices.

[robfisher]

Paul, you are SO right. Radio news in really no better. Every half hour we get an update on the good congresswoman from AZ. Yes I care about her. But the every half hour? Is that the only thing going on in the world?

[parnold]

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

An interesting perspective of what's going on in Egypt.

[tk]

TV and radio are what they are: largely entertainment media. If you want more in-depth news, I think you have to turn to older media: newspapers and news magazines. I know newspapers are fading fast, but the serious ones are still the most in-depth, most reliable souces out there. Despite the claims of liberal media bias, the traditional media do a good job of reporting the facts; editorials may be a whole different animal. TV and radio are geared to a half-hourly or hourly cycle; newspapers daily; news magazines usually weekly. The internet is largely a news wasteland other than sites offered by the traditional media simply because there is no standard of verification as there is in the traditional media.

We should not disparage the various media for being what they naturally are any more than we should fault the wolf for eating the cute, little bunny. We simply need to be wise consumers, that is, we must be aware of what to expect of a given media.

God help the free country when its newspapers go out of business. Do us all a favor and subscribe to your local daily even if you don't have time to digest it regularly. A free press is probably the best protector of our freedoms that there can be.

My $.02.

Best,
Tom

[stumphugger]

NPR has been covering Egypt and Tunisia. Somehow we are finally getting NPR where I live. No need for the satellite radio anymore.

[dreadcptflint]

At least you are keeping up with the news. With most of my co-workers, I have to spend ten minutes explaining what is going on in the world.

[goramsey]

NPR just had a show about the AL Jazeera news website just the other day. It was on just your subject. How come we get better, more professional reporting from outside the U.S. And how well Al Jazeera has improved since they started a few years ago. I am sooooo glad to have dumped the Cable TV, etc. Gee... there is a life without TV. Oh my gosh!!

[madjack]

I am an absolute news junky...I do watch the evening news BUT, I get most of my news thru Google's news feed...the Washington Post, the times from NYC and LA are all pretty good as are the Houston Chronicle and the Atlanta Journal Constitution...I also check out CNN and FOX...these are all USA sources...going overseas, Reuters, the Telegraph, Guardian are good English sources...H'arettez, Ynet and al-Jazeera do good(and different) mid-East news...And then there is such as the Hindustani Times, Pakistani Dawn and Xinhua, they are good for covering Asia and to get a different perspectiveon other world events...anyone who only gets their news from one source is badly mis-informed!!!!!!
madjack
p.s. I actually sympathize with folks who don't do news at all since, it can get pretty depressing at times............mj

[len19070]

One of the worst examples of this used to be at work.

The majority of people in the lunch room at noon wanted to watch Jerry Springer as opposed to the news at noon.

They would tell us (the few that wanted the news) to eat lunch at another time.

Now Jerry Springer is on from 11am till 4pm on some channel every day.

The News at Noon is only on once a day at? Anybody, anybody? Bueller, Bueller?

Can't argue with that kind of logic.

They even changed the channel on 9/11

Happy Trails

Len

[legojenn]

TV and radio are what they are: largely entertainment media. If you want more in-depth news, I think you have to turn to older media: newspapers and news magazines. I know newspapers are fading fast, but the serious ones are still the most in-depth, most reliable souces out there.

Where is the like button?

[canned o minimum]

STATISTICALLY....Half of the population is of BELOW average intelligence. So, STATISTICALLY 1 out of 2 people are close to bein an idiot..STATISTICALLY

If ya keep in mind that 1/2 of the people are LESS intelligent..or worse...it puta a whole new twist on "conversations".

STATISTICALLY speaking,either YOU or "I" is an idiot...

Doncha jus love statistics ?? ( tongue in cheek )