Reply #29: The OP's argument is nonsense. [View All]

[Vinnie From Indy]

Of course tv news is a business and I have never read or heard anyone advocate otherwise. Your statement is a straw man argument. The real meat of this issue is that TV news, and almost all other news reporting in America, has been allowed to consolidate to such an extent that only a handful of gargantuan corporations control 80% or so of what Americans get as news. That fact coupled with the broad financial interests of the corporations that own the networks has made TV news much more valuable as a propaganda launching platform and filtering agent than anything else. It certainly explains the unprecedented events of the BushCo era in America and I fear it could get even worse.

In conclusion, the old argument that it is SOLELY ratings that drive the network news departments is false. It is not true. There are certainly other formulas for ascertaining profitability that take into account using tv news to push propaganda and protect political assets.

Katie is just another focus group tested asset being put into the lineup to continue the wholesale lying to the American public that has defined the news business over the last few years.

on edit:

There is a difference between just serving up stories that capture the imagination or viewership and lying to the American public. The networks are much more about the latter in today's America because of the consolidation of the business. BushCo's strategy is no secret. They have been running a "quid pro quo" government for industry. The bar is open at the White House and corporate America are the only patrons allowed.