Shopping is NOT a News Story!!

[edhopper]

I don't care about what bargains are out there, or how early some idiot left their family to go to the mall.
Shopping is not a news story. It is not your responsibility as an American to but crap!.
Perhaps as a side bar the Xmas retail numbers are a small indication of the ecomomy (among many other factors).
But live reports about shopping are inane.

[dmallind]

1. Neither is a minor car crash, but what can you do when that's what people care about?

[spartan61]

5. I so agree with you and was about to post the same thing

when I read your post. Yesterday I couldn't find much of anything on TV except for Tiger's minor accident and his being released from the hospital. This is suppose to be "breaking news?" Give me a break!

[Buzz Clik]

6. Why is a car crash not news when the injured party is famous and popular?

It's not political news, but it is big news.

Most humans like to have be provided a spectrum of information. I'm one of them.

[dmallind]

13. Then it is gossip and celebrity obsession. Still not news.

[Buzz Clik]

14. There is associated gossip, but no worse than with politicians.

Prepare yourself to be miserable about consumer news, Tiger Woods, etc.

It will never be going away because you are in the minority.

[dmallind]

45. Oh I fully understand that

McDonalds sells the most burgers. AB sells the most beer. Celebrity gossip sells the most news. None of them are the best, or most valuable - all are in fact far closer to the other end of the spectrum. It's been a long time since this realization of a consistent theme made me miserable or even surprised. I'm very pleased to be in the minority in this area. If I could wave a magic wand and make it a majority I would, but for the sake of the masses, not for my sake

[godai]

9. It's the 'lying on the ground incoherent and semi-conscious' part

coupled with the golf club swinging wife, facial cuts, leaving home at 2:30 am after Thanksgiving, breaking cheating story, all involving the #1 sports person in the world that kind of makes it a news story.

[Buzz Clik]

15. Agreed. The crash is relevant. The wild speculation needs to diverted to tabloids.

[chelsea0011]

21. Action News formats are always the top-rated form of new casts locally.

Sad, but true.

[Daemonaquila]

58. You still bitch like mad to the TV station that runs it.

It's a neverending cycle. The MSM puts crap on TV rather than exercising real editorial judgment. People get mad that their time is being wasted, but they don't raise a stink because "it wouldn't make a difference." Silently fuming doesn't make a difference. The MSM puts more crap on the news...

People really don't care. That's what makes the Weather Channel so popular. It's all background noise. They don't really watch TV any more. You can put any crap on the screen and people will drool at it. Unfortunately, this is why shows that take a little brainpower and imagination to watch are not making it - people aren't even watching for good entertainment any more.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Consumer attitudes will drive the economic recovery. It's news.

[Zen Democrat]

3. I thought the focus on shopping was actually LESS this year.

It has bothered me, like forever, that the masses in the mall on Black Friday is THE news story. But Tiger Woods got more coverage.

I think the pinnacle of insanity was Black Friday 1989, when the second story on the CBS Evening News (and also on NBC and ABC), was the fall of the Communist government in Czechoslovakia, and the headline story was "huge crowds at the malls brings smiles to retailers." It doesn't get crazier than that, IMO.

[Lerkfish]

4. it has always been a news story at this time of year, hate to break it to you

retail sales are an important economic indicator.

Now, the better criticism is HOW its covered, which is stupid -- by having reporters camp out at the black friday lines and practically shill for specific retailers,

but the reality is that between now and christmas is the retail gravy train where they make up for losses the rest of the year, if they're lucky.

[Toucano]

19. I think maybe your definition of "always" is different than mine.

It certainly has not "always" been this way. I hate to break it to you. ;)

[Lerkfish]

24. I've spent nearly 29 years

as a newspaper journalist... so my definition of always is every one of those 29 years. What's yours?

[Toucano]

33. The sun always rises in the east.

Always in your 29 years does not equal always. Close enough for journalists, I guess.

Origins are here:


http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0804D&L=ADS-L&P=R5955&I=-3

{This advertisement is in the form of a column written by Martin L.
Apfelbaum, Executive Vice President of Earl P.L. Apfelbaum, Inc., of
Philadelphia. PDF available upon request.}


*Philadelphia's "Black Friday"*

JANUARY 1966 -- "Black Friday" is the name which the Philadelphia Police
Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a
term of endearment to them. "Black Friday" officially opens the Christmas
shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams
and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to
closing.

This year proved to be no exception -- especially at Apfelbaum's. The pace
was hectic and the traffic was heavy. Here's a capsule report of how
Apfelbaum's weathered "Black Friday."

<...>

All in all, "Black Friday" certainly lived-up to its reputation. In fact it
lasted for two days, with more of the same traffic and congestion the
Saturday which followed.

Is this activity unusual? A little. But just stop in on any day of the
week and you will see more action at Apfelbaum's than at any stamp shop in
the world.

As late as 1975, the New York Times called Black Friday "that day each year between Thanksgiving Day and the Army-Navy game." Notice that's not the same as "the day everyone goes to the mall".

Post-Thanksgiving shopping is a long standing tradition for at least 100 years. Even that, however, has it's origins in retail associations.

Buying everything the Friday after Thanksgiving at 4:00 AM is most certainly not a long standing tradition.

The NYT Archives for 1930 have 7 occurrences of "Thanksgiving shopping". For 2009, there are 46 occurrences.

Check your own archives. The concept of the press doing "news stories" on the various offerings and "must haves" of retailers is very recent, owing largely to vertical media integration. Maybe it explains why ad revenue is down since the former ads are now "news".

[Lerkfish]

35. reread the OP

all I can say is, EVERY year, we sent reporters to cover after thanksgiving shopping, I didn't dream that.

Reporters hated doing it, it was a crappy assignment but they were sent nevertheless.

If you'll note, what I said was HOW it is being covered is different, but THAT it is being covered is not.

[Toucano]

38. I accept your point

The original post something about "live reports about shopping are inane".

For me, that implied a criticism not only that the event is being covered, but criticism of how it is being covered as well.

I would bet that "live reports about shopping" are an even more recent, but that's not really the point.

I wasn't trying to pick on you. There is a tendency to acclimate ourselves to things and think, "this is the way life has always been" even when it has been different in our own lifetimes.

Cheers!

[Lerkfish]

39. well, you're right that was the walk off of the OP

but the headline of the OP was that shopping is not news.

so, we're both sort of agreeing on the same points, so cheers right back at you.

[edhopper]

23. And we don't get an true account of sales till Monday

And a revised, more accurate account later.
Crowds at some mall the report decided to go to is NOT an economic indicator.

[Lerkfish]

26. retail sales are an indicator

the fact that we don't get an honest reading until january does not negate that fact.

[janedum]

7. For the SHEEPLE it is!

[Buzz Clik]

18. Is the economy somehow not affecting you? Feel lucky.

Millions are far less fortunate than you and wish to know what the signs of recovery are saying.

[edhopper]

25. What the News is covering

is NOT the economy. I doubt you will see the actual retail numbers reported on any of the broadcasts that are inundating us with Black Friday garbage.
Did they spend any time on the Dubai story, a much bigger event as far as the Economy?

[Buzz Clik]

30. It covers economic news, and others.

I filter out the stuff I don't want to read. It doesn't get me all worked up to know that some folks like reading stuff I don't.

[Gman]

8. Consumer sentiment right now is big news

[baldguy]

10. But our "news" shows are filled with non-news.

If they didn't "report" on shopping, traffic & Dancing With The Stars, then they'd have to report on actual substantive information which would have an effect on the lives of their viewers.

That's HARD WORK!

[onenote]

11. so exactly who died and made you editor in chief of all news reporting?

[mullard12ax7]

53. I did, I'm the king of everything

I received my crown years ago, didn't ya hear?

[Telly Savalas]

12. You act as if it's new for TV news to focus on the inane and irrelevant.

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. Only when fools trample each other to buy pieces of imported junk

[janedum]

29. SHEEPLE. Pathetic .. Everyone should BOYCOT JUNK made overseas!

[TreasonousBastard]

17. Who are you (and these others here) to decide what is "news"?

[spanone]

20. a large chunk of the economy unfortunately depends on christmas sales...thereby news

[treestar]

41. See but those people don't matter on DU

The only people whose jobs we are allowed to care about is those who make autos and IT workers. We are supposed to do whatever we can to maximize what they can make on the job and to reassure they always have jobs to pick from. If the rest of us lose ours, that doesn't matter. :sarcasm:

[Neon Trotsky]

22. A deeper problem is ...

too many shopping stories are "one source" stories. KYW radio in Philly yesterday did a shopping story that featured nothing but WalMart!
Where are stories such as how many small, independent retailers take the time to open at 5 a.m. or other some ungodlessly hour to try to compete with the big-box people? Or how already barley-paid retail workers have to work 3 a.m. shifts.

Anyhoo, happy holidays 2 all!

[lonestarnot]

27. Walmart is now paying workers with barley? WTF!

:rofl:

[Lisa0825]

32. Hey! Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[ThatsMyBarack]

51. Welcome to DU, Neon Trotsky!

:hi: Also, you've made an excellent point.

It always makes me sad when networks call this "News." It makes me miss Walter Cronkite. :cry:

[doc03]

28. The Tiger Woods accident isn't a News Story either

but that story will get more coverage than the Health Care bill or either of the two wars the next few days.

[Toucano]

31. It is news because it is currently what's happening.

What is so objectionable is the extent of the coverage. Non-stop mall coverage is excessive.

[pipi_k]

34. Hah...all I can say is...

You would be very disappointed by what passes for news in my teeny little corner of the world...

:7

[Honeycombe8]

36. Sure it is. nt

[Louisiana1976]

37. Agree 100%. People shop every year on the day after Thanksgiving.

What would be news would be if nobody or hardly anybody shopped on "Black Friday."

And here's something else that isn't news but nonetheless is always covered live around the holidays: all the people traveling here and there, "over the river and through the woods" to visit Grandma--crowding airports and the like.

It would be news if nobody or hardly anybody travelled at that time.

[Toucano]

40. Limiting "news" to the rare or unusual would also be unacceptable, actually.

By your standard, we would not report on a suicide bomber in Jerusalem, for example, because it happens all the time.

It would only be newsworthy if there weren't an attack?

News should be simply what's currently happening that matters to people. The problem is the second half, isn't it?

We hear CNN or some such say "Paris Hilton is the most clicked on story on our website" as if that justifies it even being on the website.

[Big Blue Marble]

42. Both the shopping and the Woods story

beat the wall-to-wall Palin coverage of the last two or three weeks.

Be grateful!

[mrbarber]

43. Actually, for people working in retail, Black Friday is an extremely important indicator..

of how much job security the coming year will provide.

Sorry if you are to insulated to appreciate how scary it is in the workforce right now, but I can assure you, it is very important news to many, many people.

[edhopper]

48. Why do you think the inane

stories of shoppers on BF, with propaganda numbers from the retailers and the insistent drone of "Buy, buy, buy",
has anything to do with the economy?
This has NOTHING to do with the state of the economy.

[mitchum]

44. EVERYTHING on television is a commercial...

not just the commercials

[OffWithTheirHeads]

46. Bingo! When your biggest revenue stream is from people selling shit

ie: advertisements, shopping had better be news or you can kiss the revenue bye bye.

The reverse is also true. When a large portion of your revenue stream comes from ADM or Chevron, you can pretty much bet that there will be no stories critical of them on your local PBS. Why else would they advertise products you'll never directly buy? Ever been to Monsanto's? Me neither.

[walldude]

49. Jackson Browne:

They sell us our president the same way... they sell us our clothes and our cars.
They sell us everything from youth to religion, the same time they sell us our wars.
-Lives in the Balance


:toast: Nailed it man.

[EFerrari]

56. Yes, he did!

:toast:

[jpak]

47. Waaaa!!!!111 Consumer confidence and disposable income is up - no DOOM for you

Good newd bad!

Good news bad!

:evilgrin:

[mullard12ax7]

55. DOW 10,000! The Iraq War is Over! Puppies!

Happy happy joy joy! Everything is beautiful in "let torturers go free" land!

[Kievan Rus]

50. What do you expect out of a news media....

that showed more interest in a shiny balloon than the POTUS, and treated the death of Anna Nicole Smith as if it was 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina all over again?

[mullard12ax7]

52. Excellent point

Not to mention the lies about shopping on the holidays always follows this formula: 1st reports always say there was an increase in spending, then, a week later the numbers are "surprisingly" negative. LOL.

[SoCalDem]

54. A CNN crawl had this sublime caption

SHOP....SPEND...Save the economy

I suppose it was promo-ing some facsinating "story", but I never saw one

[1]

57. but consumer confidence is. and what is one of the best ways to measure that? black friday shopping,

are you that obtuse?

no. i didn't think so.

you just wanted this to fail. and it didn't. and you are pissed that it didn't.

so sad, so bad to be you. try again next year...

[Lagomorph]

59. I don't even know what the hot new toy is this year...

Damn it, I've got more computing power sitting on my desktop than NASA had during the moon landings and I don't even know what's going on these days.

[edhopper]

61. These reports on BF shopping

are as accurate a report on consumer confidence as the Bush Administrations reports on WMDs.

[Shagbark Hickory]

60. Cable "news" & local "news" = infotainment. News-news= newspaper