To CNN & MSNBC: Do the IDIOTS making your coverage decisions REALLY AND TRULY BELIEVE

[Atticus]

that your viewers need a tedious multiple-minutes-long timeline analysis of what police say occurred in the Smollet situation? And, is there no other news more worthy of your air time than a follow up panel discussion about how terrible everyone feels?

I thought I heard something about a white supremacist Trumpie plotting mass murder and a court proceeding to determine if Stone gets tossed in the clink, but apparently those issues are less important than trumpeting a single case of a black gay man who may have filed a false police report..

I can approach eloquence at times, but right now "You really piss me off!" is the best I can do!

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Infotainment at it's finest.

Oh,you know full well if they move to a White NAZI story,there feed back loop goes off the rails.

[Sherman A1]

3. Precisely

it is simply Infotainment, that is their Schtick to fill air time between ads for drugs we never knew we needed.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Everyone has to speak at least 140 words per

minute. And the more Cleavage the better. Blown away at the pure ignorance of their topics.

[Sherman A1]

8. Yup

They have to cram in as much of their opinions as possible between the pharma ads and while I am male and certainly appreciate the feminine form as much as the next guy it nevertheless is more than obvious as to what is going on.

I have found that I get along very, very well without the constant high pitched blathering.

[Wellstone ruled]

30. Sorry to say,

just old school where the on air Talent wore Jackets on Set. We are know seeing the Fake and Friends look and about the same for Mental ability.

[lagomorph777]

13. WTF is up with all the drug ads? Are Americans actually that gullible?

Yikes.

[FakeNoose]

20. Big Pharma - that's where the $ is

All the major TV news outlets have to make money these days. They don't get a free ride like they did back in the days of Walter Cronkite. It's all about viewership and ad dollars now.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

26. Yes. Big Pharma wouldn't spend the money if it didn't work. . . . nt

[Viz]

48. Big Pharma ads work but not in the way you might think....

It is not about them selling more of a drug....This is about "owning the media" When you spend millions on ads, the networks
would rather die than report on their vulture business practices.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

49. Good point. . . nt

[pangaia]

69. Silly you would ask..

[Wednesdays]

75. The ads give you an idea of their target demographic

Usually affluent suburban white baby boomers. I noticed a good many ads are about drugs to treat ailments that afflict 50-somethings to 70-somethings. That, and ads for things like Lincoln Navigators.

[lagomorph777]

82. Very true.

Technically I'm in that demographic, but so far have no interest in such drugs. Cheaper to take care of myself and prevent all the degenerative diseases. And gigantic luxury vehicles are not my speed. More like a compact car that has enough miles on the odometer for a trip to the moon.

[pangaia]

68. That's it in a nutshell...

[Power 2 the People]

83. +1000

[jalan48]

46. Yep. Kardashian style news at its best.

[DownriverDem]

76. Right now

MSNBC on Andrea Mitchell is reporting on Syria and the woman how wants to come home.

[kimbutgar]

2. And remember how they were hammering the black face incident of the Virginia governor?

It got to the point that if I switched over and it was being reported I changed the channel. They beat that dead horse story to death.

MSNBC ironically is SUPPOSED to be liberal but it seems they pay scant attention to republicans
Scandals and focus more on Democratic and liberal negative stories.

[loyalsister]

72. They're going for a different audience

While using the infotainment format originally cultivated by fox. Both operate on a pretense that they are essential news service. But, unlike the serious public information programing, Cronkite style accessible news coverage, people are paying for it. Thus consumer driven programing for audiences who want to have their biases confirmed without unpalatable or boring stories that could actually stimulate serious questioning and learning.

[spanone]

4. K&R...

[BigmanPigman]

5. It is endless.

[The Genealogist]

7. I was treated to FAUX snooze at the gym today

They were making out this white supremacist and Smollet to be equally horrid. Cause you know, Smollet is black AND Gay, so he has to be painted as super duper evil and scary. As if the magnitude of the two stories are even in the same galaxy of importance.

[True Blue American]

77. I watched a little

Of Scraborough before heading to the Y Pool. He was blasting Trump and Republicans for not speaking out on the White supremist deal. Of course he and Ari Melber were targeted.

But I could not ignore how they pushed,” Our Friend, Donny,” before the elaction.

[NurseJackie]

9. CNN-ET. MSNB-TMZ.

[The Mouth]

10. "Culture" of celebrity

If it bleeds, it leads. The Nazi guy didn't actually kill anyone = boring.

If it *had* been a real hate crime, we'd want it to have this much publicity. Publicity cuts both ways.

Not that I *like* it, but I totally understand it.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

11. It's sad because their own journalists were targeted

Do they not care about the chances that one of the journalists targeted on their networks could've been killed. This is the 2nd time this shit has been tried during 45's time in office. Lincoln's entire cabinet was targeted for assassination after the Civil War. This cannot be taken lightly.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Abraham_Lincoln

[Honeycombe8]

12. Did you complain when it was reported as a hate crime?

It's not right to be offended that it's being reported that facts suggest Smollet faked the whole hate crime thing, if they didn't complain about it being reported that it had really occurred.

We are not like Repubs. We want the real news reported, whether it's favorable or not. That way, we can rely on the real facts being reported. If they only report what WE want, or what they want, then it becomes unreliable.

It is news if a celebrity fakes a hate crime, esp when it contains the offensive noose claim. That's imagery that's particularly offensive in our country because of our history. But your issue is with Smollet, if he faked it. Not with the news outlets that report the incident.

[Atticus]

22. A reread of my OP will show that I did not complain about the reporting of the apparent

fake police report. I found the lengthy, exquisitely detailed recitation by the state's attorney's spokesperson--- which I believe was carried without interruption for over 10 minutes---WHILE Stone was in court and while charges against the MAGA Coast Guardsman are about to be announced was ridiculous. When that finally ended, they began a panel discussion of the terrible effects that a false police report would have on black gay men who really were attacked.

It was not the fact of the reporting that bothered me. It was a matter of emphasis and priorities. I simply do not believe the Smollet case is as important a news item as one white guy who threatened mass murder and the treatment of another white guy who just publicly threatened a federal judge.

[smirkymonkey]

60. +1000

[Mr. Quackers]

14. No one is required to watch television

[ginnyinWI]

27. or stick to PBS.

Yes it's slower paced, and requires a longer attention span. If you can Tivo it, you can fast forward through their 10 minute discussions of each main story if not interested--what I do. But when you hit a good one, you learn something.

BBC is also content-rich. As is NPR.

I think part of the problem is that TV like this gets eyeballs, and lots of them. And they have so many long hours in the day to fill.

Back when it was Uncle Walter for just a half hour, this wasn't a problem.

[Sherman A1]

42. That is an option

I like NPR, PBS, DW & BBC for my basic news services. I much prefer the slower pace where folks are not talking at Warp Factor 3 and I get no big pharma ads.

[Cetacea]

65. But most voters do. eom

[pangaia]

70. No, but to complain about propaganda aimed at those who DO is worthwhile.

There are 3 TVs on at the gym where I workout on the wall in front of all the cardio machines.( 2 more on other walls)
The cardio machine TVs have MSNBC or CNN and the other TV IS FOX..3RD IS WEATHER OR SPORTS..

The msnbc one is basically, as stated above, just infotainment.. same crawlers for 15 minutyes.. same talk. same 2-3 topics for the entire hour aandd a half I am there.. I finish my 30-45 minutes of cardio, go to weights.. and when I come back for a short cardio at the end, the same FUCKING stories are on.. same crawlers... maybe it's just videos of the same ting.
NEVER EVER any variety of news. WORLD NEWS? Are you kidding me?

Unless there is a tsunami or nuclear bimb going off somewhere, noboddy who watches would ever even KNOW there was any place in the world except WASHINGTON FUCKING DC!!


Freakin' stupid enteretainlemt for freakin stupidd people...

[yaesu]

15. way too much time airing something that wouldn't even make the mid section of news papers

back in the day, who cares, sports, celebs, its all entertainment, no real news.

[IronLionZion]

16. And the "Nigerian" brothers were born in Chicago

but everyone knows why they are not called the American brothers.

[Dixc]

17. Dumbing down!

no journalism, just filling in until another commercial about another medication we all need. Then, back to a rehash on previous "news" points....with another guest. Lordy, I need to drop my cable bill. Waste of time and $!

[ginnyinWI]

32. Do it! You will not regret it.

I know that what hangs a lot of people up is sports coverage. But we are not a sport loving household so no problem cutting the cable. It will be nine years this May!

You can get what few shows you really want to see on YouTube or a podcast.

[colorado_ufo]

18. I could not believe how much are time was devoted to this.

I felt trapped when trying to find out news this morning before going to work and just heard endless information about some two-bit actor, that I had never heard of, and how he stupidly created a fake hate crime.

[AdamGG]

19. CNN spent 10 days talking about nothing but a missing airplane

This is the same tabloid lowest common denominator formula.

[Sprite]

21. Also constant talk about:

The presidential election! This is a non election year. Sick of it. No news here. All you hear from the media is noise. Although I did like Max Rose this morning on Morning Joe.

[Leith]

23. I am so sick of the Smollet "news" I could scream

It isn't like anything in the case affects our lives in any way as much as the Coast Guard officer who wanted to assassinate liberals, newspeople, and Democrats. Or the hateful dirty trickster slyly nudging his mindless followers to endanger a judge. Or families seeking asylum being separated and disappeared (Pinochet would be proud). Or a deranged so-called pResident and his whole political party doing their damnedest to make the US the smallest fucking province in the Russian empire (paraphrasing Otto in A Fish Called Wanda).

WTF, guys?! (The CNN and MSNBC decision makers, not anyone here)

[True Blue American]

79. Who ever heard of Smollett

Before his fake attack?

[radius777]

24. Trump is a hate crime.

Since he was elected random everyday hate crimes dramatically increased, numerous hate based shootings and terror/attempted terror acts, daily harrasing (BBQ Becky, etc) of PoC.

Trump's hate based policies are all about putting brown kids in cages, deporting people who have been here for a generation, etc.

Smollet's (clearly a troubled man) hoax (which was obvious from the beginning) is a blip in this overall picture.

[pdsimdars]

25. I like MSNBC but experience this same feeling almost every single day. Maddening!

[CaptYossarian]

28. It's all supposed to be a distraction from the daily crimes committed in DC and on Wall Street.

Since we DUers aren't "keeping up with the Kardash-holes", they have to infest our sources of information. CNN just hired a Sinclair-type to head their newsroom and MSNBC still has Phil Griffin (Stewie Griffin has more integrity).

[onenote]

29. I'm guessing they do believe that

And that they have research data to back up that belief.

Do not underestimate the shallowness of the viewing public.

[Firestorm49]

31. Couldn't agree more. The guy made a choice. A bad one. End of story.

[lapucelle]

33. The only way that CNN could have made it worse would be to have had Richard Quest on

to discuss the details of the flight from Nigeria to the US and speculate about why the flight didn't disappear.

[ginnyinWI]

34. I'm so glad I'm not watching this stuff. nt

[jayschool2013]

35. Read your news

Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.
Television is show business.

[sbonedale]

36. First Time Posting On my Favorite Site For Years.....

I work from home and usually have some flavor of network news on in the background. Today I have had enough. This coverage of the Smollet was the last straw. So many more important things in this world to cover. Pathetic.

[blm]

40. EXACTLY!

.

[IADEMO2004]

53. Post One!!! Woo Hoo

[ehrnst]

66. Who were you before? (nt)

[dchill]

37. It may not be fake news, but it certainly is junk news.

[defacto7]

38. This!

[doompatrol39]

39. People should stop watching cable news....

.It's not news, and it's unhealthy. The people that run it and 80% (I'm being generous) of the people that are on it not only do NOT have your best interest or the interests of the country at heart, in many cases they are actively working AGAINST those interests.

There is zero reason anyone needs to watch cable news. Not one single, solitary reason.

[Sherman A1]

43. Preach It!

It's all Infotainment. Sometimes they brush up against journalism, but it is a rare event.

[Kurt V.]

45. +10000

I've been unplugged for years and haven't missed a single important story.

[ginnyinWI]

47. Take, for example all the Andrew McCabe interviews.

I have nothing against Lawrence or Rachael or anybody interviewing him. But you know what--PBS Newshour is promising to interview him for tonight's program.

He is most interesting, but I listened to the above cable shows by podcast while on my treadmill. No ads! I don't listen all the time but once in a while is good.

The point is, you don't need to miss anything in this multi media age.

[doompatrol39]

52. Exactly

I used to be a cable news junkie. I'm going on 10 years without and I have not missed out on a single thing.

Anything worth catching will be linked to in any number of places, ad nauseam. Any details, events, facts, etc. I will find online.

[yardwork]

41. Rec

[maveric]

44. Remember "Runaway Bride" some years back?

Distraction?

[OnlinePoker]

50. I would bet 90% of Americans had never heard of Smollett before this.

Now, everybody has. It's a useful distraction to keep real information from getting to the masses.

[barbtries]

51. you did fine.

sigh. it's so disheartening.

[912gdm]

54. Ill take your Smollet and raise you general domestic outrage-news..

I really think cnn and MSNBC has taken the Fox News approach of revenue enhancement by just having a panel yell back and forth at each other and package news stories like they were produced for jerry springer.

it's this outrage, or that outrage, or who offended, and who was offended with non-stop punditry. Otherwise its trump 24/7. Or Hillary, etc.


Seems like for last three years we hardly get world news anymore. Paris has been rioting every weekend for 2 months, Venezuela is a humanitarian crisis ready to blow, Haiti the same. Austrailia has been hit with climate change that would make your hair fall out. And thats just the stuff I know of because I read foreign publications and don't rely on the 'news' networks to actually deliver the news.

Who knows what else is going on since the networks don't seem to want to spend money on foreign correspondents while they ride the trump gravy train of ratings...


And I don't mean to downplay the civil rights disaster in this country, or the crimes trump has committed, I'm just saying there seems to be a major lack of news in the news.

edit: I reread this after posting and just want to say im not the best writer. But I hope I got my point across

[Atticus]

55. You are correct. My OP may have been too narrowly focused. nt

[912gdm]

56. Oh I didn't mean to imply you were too narrow

I was just giving my two cents into why I think the news media has become a joke...

I liked your op

[Atticus]

57. Thanks. NT

[912gdm]

62. You're welcome. NT. 😁

[shanti]

58. Well, we'll see if Rachel focuses on Smollett too

I'm thinking she won't.

[pansypoo53219]

59. i have forsworn off any gnewz about smollet. not my business. i do not care. the moron's lies matter

cover the BIG LIES.

[ornotna]

61. First fifteen minutes of AC and no mention of it

First 15 minutes or so and it was all Roger Stone then Cohen.


Edit: Spoke too soon, 20 minutes and moving on to the Smollett story.

[IsraelMerchant]

63. Yeah, it's not like Smollet is Trump

It makes sense to fill 90% of the air time with the orange airhead, but we're tired of seeing one guy who made a mistake. Focus more on racist steering us towards oblivion!

[Cha]

64. KICK!!!!

Fucking US Media******

[seta1950]

67. Rachel Maddow

There’s your answer you’ll learn something new every night that’s all watch.

[Sherman A1]

71. I won't even bother with her program

Keep all the Cable Noise Infotainment off and you will be better informed.

[pwb]

73. I didn't even know who this guy was.

.

[True Blue American]

80. Same here.

A Fox show?

[Loubee]

74. A Coast Guard lieutenant preparing to assassinate

a wide swathe of political, media and entertainment figures? That's dog bites man in America today.

[fescuerescue]

78. The advertisers believe it

Well more accurately the advertisers believes it draws eyes, which means that the advertisers are happy to write big checks to CNN and MSNBC.

If the coverage was driving viewers away, advertisers would have put a stop to it already.

[INdemo]

81. and now they will be discussing Trump and his Buddy kim

anything to distract the facts that Trump is Treason's Traitor.

[Devil Child]

84. If the stove is hot you might want to stop touching it

What you expressed is a major reason I have cut the cord on cable and abandoned the 24/7 televised corporate infotainment.

[Pepsidog]

85. Yea what's up with that. Enough Smollett

[moose65]

86. This is baffling to me

I gotta admit, before this happened, I had never heard of Smollet. But I've seen several right-wing memes about it and unfortunately I caught a bit of Tucker's show the other night (don't ask) and he was all over it. What is it about this particular story that is causing conservative heads to explode?? Why are they so bent out of shape about this?

[LittleGirl]

87. Thank you for that point

being made so quickly and succinctly. (yes, I used spell check for that word, it's Friday, I'm tired).

[LittleGirl]

88. I should add

I really don't understand this "media" in the US. There are many other broadcasts that take the responsibility of keeping the public informed. But it's like, in the US lately, it's how much b.s. can we sell to those people? How many eyeballs will be get instead and we end up suffering with 45 voting fools?

The "educating the public" media has been replaced with talking heads and their opinions. I don't give a damn about their opinions but we are subjected to these pundits every week! This is how we ended up with a POTUS that is incapable of understanding the world as we know it. OMG

For the media, it's Not, like, how can we educate the masses with easy to understand explanations of the current events so that every one can make their own decisions about how awful shit has gotten since 45 took over. To be honest, it's out-right in public, for everyone to see and all we're doing is talking about it and not doing the public service required to educate people and STOP THE GAWD DAMN MADNESS that is going on. I don't mean to shout, but WTF? Why are we living this absolute madness?

/rant

[LittleGirl]

89. sorry, the outrage fatigue sapped all of my thoughts

for a moment. carry on.

[FiveGoodMen]

91. Americans worship money.

And not just the money, but those who have it.

And not just those who have it, but those who are trying like hell to GET the money for themselves -- ALL OF IT!!!!

We grovel at their feet and treat them like gods.

So, when they do greedy, selfish, stupid, destructive things, they get PRAISED for it! "What a great American!"

The funny thing is that most of these people claim to believe in a god who specifically said that no one can worship both him AND money.

So we're just a bunch of liars admiring other thieves and liars.

And that's why we don't do anything about our news media; they're trying to accumulate all possible money for themselves, and what could be better than that?

[Baconator]

90. We're gonna have to pay this price so buckle up...

Smollett gave some of the biggest pieces of filth in the world the best present they could imagine and they will milk this for literal decades...