Shocker: Cable New Networks Don't Deliver the News

[MineralMan]

I remember when CNN first started up. You could tune into it if you had cable, and see actual news broadcasts just about any time you wanted to. News as in people telling you what was happening or had happened, with video coverage and a minimum of commentary. I remember one day when my then wife was traveling by train on the East coast. I heard something on CNN about a train crash and went to see what was up.

Sure enough, it was the train my then wife was on. CNN stuck with the story, had live video from the scene, and provided contact information to let me call someone to check on my wife. She was fine. Just a little shaken up. She finally called me. This was in the pre-cellphone days.

Fast forward a few years, though, and Fox News Network, CNN, and MSNBC have all moved far away from providing actual news around the clock. Now, their pure news programming has been minimized, with most of the 24 hour "news" cycle made up of people offering opinions about what the news means, rather than just telling us what happened and letting us decide for ourselves. CNN launched CNN Headline News, which I never really watched, but the rest pretty much fill their time with political pundits and editorial commentary.

If I want the news, I have to read the paper or tune into one of the three broadcast networks in the morning, late afternoon, or at bedtime. At those times, there will be people telling me what has happened since I last checked in. If I want news, I watch news programming, not commentary or round-table discussions.

In 2019, far too many people have the idea that commentary is news. It's not. The 24-hour cable "news" channels have retrained us to think of their programming as news. It's not. It's people telling you how to think about the news. If you want news, watch the news or read a major newspaper. If you want to hear someone else's idea of what that news means, then watch CNN, MSNBC or FNC. They'll be glad to tell you how to think - between commercials.

[underpants]

1. I get the news I need on the weather report I can gather all the news I need on the weather report

-Paul Simon “Only Living Boy in New York”

I always took that as commentary by Simon or a wink to The Weathermen

I grew up watching Jon Chancellor (and probably Brinkley) just tell me WHAT happened today. Now it’s just 24 hour drama.

[MineralMan]

3. Actually the CBS, NBC, and ABC News are still

much the same as they have always been. Many of us have just stopped watching those news programs. I haven't. I see the CBS News in the morning over coffee, and the Evening News in the late afternoon. They're still telling people what happened, without commentary. The local news on the same channels is still delivering the local news just fine, too.

Maybe it's time to revive network news watching. Between that and a good daily paper, you can still find out what's going on and decide for yourself what it all means.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

25. trouble with CBS, NBC, ABC

Each of the networks give only bits and pieces that can fit between commercials and cutesy stories. They all choose for titillation, outrage and controversy. (CBS was still yapping about Warren's DNA a day or so ago, even as they admitted the question only came up twice in all the 'town hall' meetings she's had with people since announcing her candidacy).

On another note, Headline News used to cram as much of the world news as it could into 15 minutes, with the rest of each half hour (excluding commercials) stuffed with sports and 'human interest'. Anchors had to talk fast and not screw up. Very soon after Turner sold it, HN started to resemble a bad web site, with multiple scrolling chyrons while the bobble-head yapped about selected U.S.-centric news items of the day (not the half-hour).

[spanone]

31. Love that song....

[still_one]

2. An exception to that I would argue is Bloomberg. They mix so much commentary within their reporting

what is news verses opinion gets muddled

[MineralMan]

4. I've never watched it.

[still_one]

5. Not t everyone receives it, and while it is mostly slanted toward business, except when they are

Last edited Thu Aug 22, 2019, 04:27 PM - Edit history (2)

clearly soliciting views from both sides, they go out of their way not to interject opinions when covering news items. Many I am sure find that boring

Their coverage of the Hong Kong protests was excellent, and they were way out their with it before the other cable outlets caught on about gilts significance

I agree with your OP 100%

[MineralMan]

7. I'm sure it's on my cable list.

I don't watch a lot of television any more. But, I do watch the broadcast network news. It's a lifelong habit, started in 1952 when my parents bought their first TV set, with a 10" round screen. I was just seven years old, but the CBS News was on every afternoon. I've been watching it ever since.

[roamer65]

20. I love Bloomberg Asia.

Best financial reporting I have seen yet.

[still_one]

21. I agree. Asia, Europe, Middle East, the world

[roamer65]

22. If you have a streaming player like Roku...

stream Al Jazeera English. Very good news reporting and news magazines that are very educational.

[captain queeg]

6. I read somewhere that prior to 1987 "news" had to be strictly factual

Some law was passed at that time opening the door to the current trend of shows flooding us with opinion. Don’t remember the details, wish I knew the specifics, but something that was passed by Congress at that time.

[MineralMan]

8. I'm not sure about that. News can be slanted, of course.

But, I still insist on news, rather than commentary. It's still around, but not on the Cable News channels.

[FoxNewsSucks]

11. Thank Raygun for that.

Prior to then, networks were required to "provide a public service" in exchange for free use of the public airwaves. The news department was a money-loser, but news was the public service. News had to be factual, and the news and advertising departments were kept completely separate to maintain impartiality.

St Ronnie Raygun ended that requirement. News departments were soon considered just another profit center. And now we have the ratings-driven corporate cable crap.

[roamer65]

18. Bingo. We have a winner!

+1000

[Mariana]

15. Even if that were true, cable channels would have been exempt. nt.

[comradebillyboy]

9. For news it's my local paper and the Washington Post. For

infotainment the cable nets are ok.

[Dagstead Bumwood]

14. Agree on the local paper.

Today's edition of my local paper featured an AP story on the rate of ice melt in Greenland that was three columns wide and three-fourths of the page long. Where in the corporate cable news googleplex could I see coverage that in-depth? I limit my cable news consumption exposure to MSNBC, and within that, Ari and Rachel. I know with Rachel there will be facts and substance.

[Demsrule86]

10. I have stopped watching cable news...as I am sick of the commentary...and the negativity...it

started with Biden was upset and still am with the coverage, turned off even MSNBC...but then I looked at old stuff from 16 and thought about it...damned if they didn't help Trump win the 16 election almost as much as the Russians. The vicious coverage of Clinton was over the top...while few of Trump's transgressions were called out.

[hunter]

12. My dad used to get home from work, pop open a beer, and watch CBS news.

First a half hour of the local news, followed by Walter Cronkite.

Sometimes I'd watch, sometimes not.

I vividly remember Vietnam War coverage.

When I was living on my own I rarely watched television, even when I had televisions. Usually I didn't.

There were about three years in my life when my wife and I watched television news with any regularity and that was the 11:00 pm local news. Otherwise our work schedules were always too chaotic and our children too unsettled.

When our children were small I don't remember any spare time for television. If I did turn on the television I'd fall asleep until I woke up to the crying of a baby or the demands of a toddler.

My dad and my mother-in-law watch a lot of television news, usually MSNBC or CNN. They also watch the local news. My wife and I don't watch any television news. Our television plays DVDs and Netflix. That's all it does.

Our children, now adults, likewise don't have "traditional" television in their own homes. No cable, no satellite, no broadcast. This has been confusing to their grandparents whenever they visit. Our oldest kid doesn't even have a remote control. They turn on the television using its built-in power switch and control everything else with their phones or laptops. They don't have a DVD player. All their television is streamed. Besides Netflix I don't know what streaming services they subscribe to.

It's possible neither my wife or I have the patience to sit down and watch television news.

I read all my news in the local paper, the local weekly, and a few "legitimate" news websites I support by subscription, donation, or by partially white-listing their advertisers. I always block advertising that moves or makes noise. Maybe that's why I can't tolerate television news.

[Locrian]

32. Our children, now adults, likewise don't have "traditional" television

Your post is a perfect summary of the deep and profound change that has happened right under out nose:

The transition of power in how communication (news, etc) has shifted from a few centers of power (newspaper, radio, broadcast TV, then cable) to the "Internets".

And it's a completely different dynamic: the "wise trusted" established source (walter cronkite, etc) controlled by very few outlets was *extremely* soothing and a source of stability. All the while biased as ever by whatever corporations or gov but still, and attempt somewhat at "news" - if it was "fit" to print.

Contrast to now the wild west of the "on-line" with all the "fake" and churn, but with the ability for *many* more sources of information, ability to retrieve information with ease (remember microfilm newspaper research?!) - nothing can be forgotten in the internet. Any point of view can be reinforced - but anyone can do their own research and dig as deep as they want in any subject. You just have to get by all the targeted propaganda and social media shit show.

So what's better? Well we certainly aren't going back. There's nothing left of the old, and was it really "better" in it's filtered and sanitized content? Best we learn how we're being manipulated, understand how our brains can be fooled, and learn to use our skills to actually research and learn things.

But make no mistake: the erosion of all the power centers due to "information" is a direct result why a lot of us feel so "lost". Just look at all the changes:

* Medical - distrust due to the way people are treated as bodies to be profited off. Distrust in doctors that may be overworked or just plain bad. Anti-Vax nuttiness. What's the first thing you do now before/after a doctor visit? Google it...
* Religion - all the scandals exposed. All the "history" out in the open, all the dirt.
* News - find any view you want. Find out you've been lied to for years, find fake news, find conspiracy, find real info - what is real anymore?
* Sports - doping scandals, drama, etc - hype.
* History - find all the wars we started. Read "real" history. Read different viewpoints. Read fake news, read revisionist history, repeat.
* just about any "trusted" source from the past is now open to scrutiny - for good or better who knows? Do you your own research...

All driven by the way that we now have "information". It is better or worse to have opened the door? Did we take the blue pill or the red pill?

[not_the_one]

13. They are too busy

running the 24/7 reality shit show known as turdface's america.

Which is exactly what he wants.

If he could get away with it he would have his face plastered on billboards and the sides of buildings, ala China and North Korea. All of this is all about him.

He thinks of himself as a STAR!!!

Narcissistic piece of shit.

edit misspelled narscissitic

[yonder]

16. Thanks again, MM. A few months ago, you posted something similar along these lines.

It has stuck with me every since. It made me realize that too much time is spent reading/listening to analysis rather than developing original opinions from the news source itself.

[IcyPeas]

17. I can't stand all these panel shows

and they always have "both sides" arguing. it's like constantly tuning in to hear nobody's arguing.

the hosts all aim to be superstars and not for the reason that they are great journalists. most of them are just nice looking articulate news readers that let the panels do the talking.

can't stand:

kornacki
cuomo (the worst)
blitzer
todd

for starters. why do we even know their names?

[roamer65]

19. For real news reporting I stream channels on Roku.

NHK World, Al Jazeera World and France 24.

The latter 2 are really good. Al Jazeera is really really fucking good.

CNN USA, Faux Snooze and MSNBC are editorial channels.

[hunter]

23. NHK World, Al Jazeera World, Deutsche Welle, BBC, and France 24 all have their blind spots.

Any one of them is a better source for international news, even U.S.A. related international news, than U.S.A. domestic news sources.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld

http://aljazeera.com/

https://www.dw.com

https://www.bbc.com/news

http://france24.com/

[roamer65]

24. I've found NHK, Al Jazeera, France 24 and Bloomberg to be a pretty potent mix.

I was watching Bloomberg Asia one evening and they started discussing the Uyghur issue. Bloomberg reporter piped right up and said the monitor of the mainland China signal has gone blank due to censorship. Gutsy move!

[roamer65]

26. Al Jazeera is covering the Amazon fires really well tonite.

[JohnnyRingo]

27. There's still HLN from CNN.

Head Line News is just what the name implies, current events on a loop. I can't remember for sure, but the slogan is something like "give us an hour and we'll give you the world".

Also, all the networks all have world news daily. I usually watch NBC with Nora O'Donnell at 6:30. I guess that's not cable though.

[burrowowl]

28. NPR and pbs news casts are

Reasonable, our npr has some New Mexico news and Native American news.

[hunter]

29. I support my local public radio station...

... even as I believe they are too beholden to corporate support.

Our television is a movie player, that's all it does, DVDs and Netflix.

No broadcast, cable, or satellite.

Once upon a time I built a television antenna that would receive our nearest PBS station but it hasn't been connected to our television for many years.

[BigmanPigman]

30. Remember the film Broadcast News?

The news anchor showed emotions during an interview and the real ? The real news people were horrified. Now it is all opinion panels and discussions. Come on Ted Turner...can you do anything about this? The rest of TV has been like The Truman Show for over 15 years and the news is not no longer facts delivered without opinion. Another film, Network, was a glimpse into the future where news turned into entertainment and ratings.