Friday, September 10, 2010

How much news is too much???

By Lonnie Cruse

Used to be, you got news at noon and at six P.M. and at ten P.M. Anything REALLY newsworthy, the three major networks would break in and keep everyone updated until the situation was resolved. Then back to your regular programing. Not so now.

Nowadays we have SEVERAL major news networks that air nothing but news. Well, mostly. There are a couple of shows that, for me, border on talk shows, not news reporting, but whatever.

But it seems like we hear the same news over and over. On all those news stations. Different people discussing the same story. And sometimes they get pretty graphic, issuing warnings for children, then showing lots of dead bodies on camera. NOT for the faint of heart, even after you've gotten the children out of the room.

Is it too much news? I dunno. One CAN hear a rumor of something going on in the world and check it out immediately. One can also be overwhelmed, hearing the same news stories over and over. Hard to decide how much is too much. Or maybe not enough.

It's good to keep up with what's going on in our world. However, I confess, I'm greatly disturbed by one change. The feeling of freedom by newscasters to show THEIR personal opinion of the story they are reporting, by facial expressions, personal opinion comments, etc, that let the listener know exactly where that news anchor and probably the entire news station stands on any particular issue.

I'd personally prefer the news to be delivered without seeing/hearing the news person's rather obvious opinion on the subject. I prefer to hear the news sent out unbiased and make up my own mind as to whether or not the person involved in the story is intelligent or stupid.

Actually I sorta grew up with the idea that that's how it was supposed to be. News delivered straightforward, no hint of the deliverer's opinion, and I decide what to think about it. And don't even get me started on news media's need for "explaining" to America what the President (whichever President happens to be in office at that time) REALLY meant by his talk to America. Like we're too dumb to figure it out for ourselves so they have to tell us what he meant to say. Sorry, stepping off my soapbox now.

So, is there too much news? Too little? Too much personal or corporate opinion delivered with the news people? What are your thoughts? You already know mine! Thanks for stopping by.

4 comments:

Sandra Parshall said...

I hate the way most news is presented these days, especially on TV. I don't CARE about the opinion of the so-called newscaster. Just deliver the news in an unbiased fashion, then shut up, please! And the 24-hour news cycle is destroying our sanity. Look at the international furor over the nutty plans of an obscure pastor at an obscure church (which has only about 30 members!) to burn the Koran. Cable TV news has been airing reports on this "story" every two seconds for a week. The media created the international furor. In a saner time, this guy would have gone unnoticed by the rest of the world.

Anonymous said...

I've generally thought that "television journalism" is a contradiction in terms.

Lonnie Cruse said...

Great thoughts, both of you. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I think, that you are mistaken. Write to me in PM.