The Problem with American Journalism

[BulletWounD]

I've harvested this list of "news" stories from the CNN website. If you can't see the problem, you're blind.

Latest News

• Church searched in inquiry into girl's slaying

• Gunfire erupts at religious retreat

• Pilot wanted to be shot down, trooper says

• Teens locked up for life without 2nd chance

• Osteens: 'God's best is a male and female'

• Single motherhood hits record high

• CNNMoney: Tech jobs getting zapped

• Actor leaves TV's 'House' to work for Obama

• Ticker: White House press stranded overseas

• GOPer: Liking Obama, opposing White House

• 'Sexting' lands teen on sex offender list

• Commentary: Is 'sexting' child pornography?

• iReport.com: Activists protest e-book change

• Suspect calls 911, busts himself

• Players, spectators arrive for Masters

• Woman returns $357K cashier's check

• Students fight for right to watch porn

• Time-lapse video shows wild UNC party

• CNN Wire: Death toll climbs to 260 as...

1) All bad news, all the time.
2) Non-news mixed in with news

 

[Nightmarekill]

How do you get people to do what you want them to do? Scare them of course! Maybe if they keep throwing all this information out there, we will be so scared of everyone else that we will go to war... oh wait

I don't like it but it's how it works. I get my news from The Real News

 

[BulletWounD]

How do you get people to do what you want them to do? Scare them of course! Maybe if they keep throwing all this information out there, we will be so scared of everyone else that we will go to war... oh wait

I don't like it but it's how it works. I get my news from The Real News

That's a wonderful non-biased source of news. :roll:

I get my news through the Google News aggregation service. That way I can see the news from all perspectives. From Fox, to CNN, to Al-jezeera, to Xinhua, etc. I also visit various news websites so I'm not bound to the selective reporting of one outlet alone.

 

[Grateful Heart]

I've harvested this list of "news" stories from the CNN website. If you can't see the problem, you're blind.



1) All bad news, all the time.
2) Non-news mixed in with news

Do you think the problem lies mainly with the people who deliver the headlines, or the people who tune into the headlines?

 

[TheNextEra]

I've harvested this list of "news" stories from the CNN website. If you can't see the problem, you're blind.



1) All bad news, all the time.
2) Non-news mixed in with news

The media exists to make money, not report the news. The items that sell are sex, scandals, and war (i.e. bad news).

When have you ever seen a big news station, newspaper, or media outlet make their money entirely off of "good news"?

They are a business that is in it to make money, not give everyone a fuzzy feeling.

 

[BulletWounD]

The media exists to make money, not report the news. The items that sell are sex, scandals, and war (i.e. bad news).

When have you ever seen a big news station, newspaper, or media outlet make their money entirely off of "good news"?

They are a business that is in it to make money, not give everyone a fuzzy feeling.

They make money by reporting news... You'd think there would be money to be made in a balanced, objective, television news outlet without all the fluff and bs.

It's unbalanced. Most stories on television are bad. A lot of them aren't even news (ie "celeb gossip" and all that ****).

 

[TheNextEra]

They make money by reporting news... You'd think there would be money to be made in a balanced, objective, television news outlet without all the fluff and bs.

Nope, to make money they need listeners and readers. You get that by sensationalism.

It's unbalanced. Most stories on television are bad. A lot of them aren't even news (ie "celeb gossip" and all that ****).

That is what most listeners and readers want. If they didn't, they wouldn't be watching it.

 

[BulletWounD]

Nope, to make money they need listeners and readers. You get that by sensationalism.

There are a ton of people out there who don't want sensationalism, myself included.

That is what most listeners and readers want. If they didn't, they wouldn't be watching it.

That's the unfortunate part. Our society has become so infantile that they want this crap. Reversing this trend can't be done by the government.

 

[Ikari]

A major contributor is that all the major news agencies are owned by what? Like 4 or so companies. Thanks Clinton.

 

[BulletWounD]

A major contributor is that all the major news agencies are owned by what? Like 4 or so companies. Thanks Clinton.

How did Clinton do that?

 

[winston53660]

A major contributor is that all the major news agencies are owned by what? Like 4 or so companies. Thanks Clinton.

The consolidation of the media industry started under Reagan.

 

[TheNextEra]

There are a ton of people out there who don't want sensationalism, myself included.

Obviously not enough for them to change the way they work. Face it, you mean nothing as far as money is concerned to these people. Welcome to capitalism.

That's the unfortunate part. Our society has become so infantile that they want this crap.

When more people care about American Idol than what's going on in the world, you get this.

You can more easily get people to tell who is on "Dancing with the Stars" than you will with knowledge about North Korean's rocket launch.

The sad part is that the NK rocket launch WAS put on the media almost everywhere and many people STILL didn't care enough to read about it or glance at it.

 

[BulletWounD]

Obviously not enough for them to change the way they work. Face it, you mean nothing as far as money is concerned to these people. Welcome to capitalism.

I don't know if you're trying to make a point or what. If you want to see the media change you're going to have to involve yourself with changing the outlook of the masses.

When more people care about American Idol than what's going on in the world, you get this.

You can more easily get people to tell who is on "Dancing with the Stars" than you will with knowledge about North Korean's rocket launch.

The sad part is that the NK rocket launch WAS put on the media almost everywhere and many people STILL didn't care enough to read about it or glance at it.

They wont start caring about that kind of stuff until we're attacked again and their children are sent off to war.

 

[TheNextEra]

I don't know if you're trying to make a point or what. If you want to see the media change you're going to have to involve yourself with changing the outlook of the masses.

Good luck with that and let me know how it goes. Tell me what your plan to change people from caring about American Idol or reality t.v. back to News is going to be? I've tried many times with people I know to get them to care about the country and politics, but I finally gave up and have finally just accepted the fact many people are idiots.

They wont start caring about that kind of stuff until we're attacked again and their children are sent off to war.

You're probably right about that.

 

[obvious Child]

They make money by reporting news... You'd think there would be money to be made in a balanced, objective, television news outlet without all the fluff and bs.

If your market was educated people who took the time to research what was on the news and weren't swayed by missing white girl in Aruba/NFL stars kills girlfriend, yes. However, that ain't the audience that is watching.

It's unbalanced. Most stories on television are bad. A lot of them aren't even news (ie "celeb gossip" and all that ****).

You're not the first person who is scared of the merging of news and entertainment.

 

[superjames1992]

I've harvested this list of "news" stories from the CNN website. If you can't see the problem, you're blind.



1) All bad news, all the time.
2) Non-news mixed in with news

I agree.

If you want real, honest, tough coverage of American politics, the foreign media seems to be a good way to go. They're usually out to blast American politicians, so they function like watchdogs (something the U.S. media should be doing).