Who would like to join me in a pledge to stop watching cable news?

[truthpusher]

1) I will stop watching Fox, CNN & MSNBC immediately. (CSPAN is o.k.).

2) Instead of watching cable news, I will research all information and spread the news through the web, LTTE, editorials and word of mouth.

3) I will share with others my feelings about cable news and how I have vowed to stop watching for reasons of integrity.

Next in line...the polls!!

:toast:

[EstimatedProphet]

1. Happily

I never watch cable news. NEVER.

[jdots]

5. count me in

It has moved so far away from news that it merits a law suit.Fox news is not news and the ratings got so big because of that ,that everyone joined them in the enquirering of America.

[patrice]

2. Will do.

Revenge feels SO good.

[JLJ]

4. Why is CSPAN Okay?

Just curious... I don't know anything about them and I'm just in the infancy of my "political awareness".

[truthpusher]

7. From their web-site

THE C-SPAN MISSION

C-SPAN is a public service created by the American cable television industry:

From their web-site

To provide C-SPAN's audience access to the live gavel-to-gavel proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and to other forums where public policy is discussed, debated and decided--all without editing, commentary or analysis and with a balanced presentation of points of view;

To provide elected and appointed officials and others who would influence public policy a direct conduit to the audience without filtering or otherwise distorting their points of view;

To provide the audience, through the call-in program, direct access to elected officials, other decision makers and journalists on a frequent and open basis;

To employ production values that accurately convey the business of government rather than distract from it; and to conduct all other aspects of its operations consistent with these principles.

http://www.cspan.org/about/index.asp?code=About

[patrice]

10. Hello JLJ, welcome to the DU!

[IrateCitizen]

13. Because C-SPAN doesn't do shouting matches or "spin"...

They just air events. For instance, you can see gavel-to-gavel coverage of the US House and Senate during the day. They air entire speeches of political candidates without any spin afterward. During the Presidential Debates, they simply aired the debates with no "strategists" to employ their spin after it was over.

CSPAN is really like your local cable public affairs channel gone national. It's a positive use of television to truly stay informed.

[EstimatedProphet]

31. C-SPAN does their own version of spin

which, if you have seen Washington Journal or the call-ins after the Presidential debates you will know exactly what I am talking about.
Quite often, depending on who is the host for the show, callers get selected out for their bias. That's certainly what happened after the debates, when Ms. Republican Whore host was airing 2 pro-Bush calls to every pro-Kerry call, and starting every Kerry call by leading in that "people think the debate was a tie". It was so obvious it made my skin crawl.
Is this as bad as the spin on Fox? No. But is it a fair representation? Again, no.

[truthpusher]

35. I like how they let any crazy person that calls on the air...

...I find it especially frightening when the fundies start calling. It helps remind me how lame these people can actually be.

[EstimatedProphet]

38. They never seem to run out of those people, do they?

The demented nutcase who calls in and says John Kerry is an abomination gets air time; the person who has actual discussion points doesn't get put on.

[IrateCitizen]

3. Not a big pledge for me -- been doing it for quite some time now. (nt)

[truthpusher]

11. You must be a happy well adjusted individual?

[IrateCitizen]

15. Not entirely...

But saving myself from the needless aggravation and dumbing-down provided by cable nooze certainly doesn't add to my misery. ;-)

[9119495]

12. Me too. I'm on week three or so and I feel great

Thanks to DU, I'm just as informed and certainly less annoyed. I spend more tiem with my kid, I read more. Things are great--and I still think we can win.

[northzax]

6. have you considered not even paying for cable?

if more people simple ignored cable, we'd be better off as a society.

I still can't beleive that people pay hundreds of dollars a year to watch television.

[truthpusher]

16. Football

need I say more?

[northzax]

28. sports bar

need i say more?

[truthpusher]

30. Don't smoke, don't drink, hate chicken wings...

[IrateCitizen]

20. I'd do it if it weren't for my wife...

I've completely gotten rid of television at various points in my life before. I don't know if I'd totally get rid of cable though -- I'd probably do the most "basic" service which is just network channels, public access and CSPAN for something like $12 per month.

My wife's family all pays over $100/month for digital cable. It's mind-blowing to me, the sheer insanity of it.

[NoPasaran]

36. Daily Show!

Pretty much all I watch, but worth having cable to get my JS fix.

[Q3JR4]

8. Done.

[Indiana_Dem]

9. I would say yes but my spouse won't stop and then

I'll walk in the room and hear it! It's a losing battle at my house.

[truthpusher]

22. Try putting your fingers in your ears and yelling 'Blah-Blah-Blah'...

...everytime you walk through the room :shrug: :shrug:

[hiphopnation]

14. Done.

I don't watch any of that crap anyway. :shrug:

[Amich]

17. I'm there going on 5 yrs now.

[lindashaw]

18. I stopped watching two months ago. I don't even watch C-Span

anymore, not since Brian Lamb had that very angry Jewish woman on. I can't remember her name, but it was the first time I could see what the station's political leanings were. A man even called in and said that Brian had revealed himself. I do confess to watching Imus sometimes, because he has our guys on. I should cancel my service, I guess.

[truthpusher]

27. I used to watch Imus...

..but he seems to be such a sucker for the spin..I think sometimes he's doing more harm than good?

[drdtroit]

19. Never watch them,

wouldn't be prudent!

[lpbk2713]

21. Cable news is a complete waste of time when you consider

all they do is talk. They have to fill up their time slots with what they consider newsworthy events. So if the raw news on a given day is slow or if they haven't done a lot of legwork then this is when they get in trouble because then they have to embellish what they do have in order to fill up that time slot. And then the truth is at the mercy of whoever does the embellishing.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. Instead, try FSTV or Link.

Both offer quality news.

[truthpusher]

29. Comcast in Colorado does not carry them in my area...I miss Amy Goodman...

[jhain]

24. did this as of this am

turned on CNN, heard terror terror terror terror
and vowed I was finished.
Only ever watched CNN and their blantant one sidedness has sickened me these last few weeks.
-Jude

[truthpusher]

32. Hang in there...keep up to date with this web-site...

...you will get more than enough news.

[tom_paine]

25. Beat you to it by some 3.5 years

But, sure, I'd LOVE the compnay.

Imperial Corporate TV Pravda is as diligent and truthful as Chinese Media.

[Crunchy Frog]

26. I've already stopped watching it

except when there is something very specific that I want to see. However, if * gets a second term, I am planning to simply cut off my cable completely. I will let the cable company and all the cable news stations know that it is because of their role in shilling for the * administration and helping it get a 2nd term.

I will still be able to watch C-SPAN over the internet. I would really miss Jon Stewart, but even he is not enough to keep me subsidizing the rest of the crap that's on cable.

[sangh0]

33. TV IS FREE!!!

Cut your cable, not just the cable news.

[lakeguy]

34. In!

[MADem]

37. No, sorry!

I think it is a great way to blow off steam--send them letters telling them what assholes they are, instead. Letters do make a difference--just ask Sinclair advertisers.

[truthpusher]

43. you are a girlie man (or a boyish women (must be politically correct))

[MADem]

49. No, I'm neither-- I just think

...we need to hold their lying feet to the fire. If we don't speak out when we have a voice, pretty soon we won't have a voice. Everyone has their own methods of dealing with media bias, I find that loud complaining and pointing out their missteps is both theraputic and provides them with constructive feedback. I don't require anyone to join me, but I do urge them to so do.

If they don't know what they are doing wrong, they'll never change.

[truthpusher]

53. I want to repeat that....

It has more to do with ...


...the creation of a force based on intelligent discourse as opposed to enveloping yourself in a lesser discourse.

Watching CNN is like watching two people play tic-tac-toe all day long; after about the third or fourth game you get it.

You will never gain anything even remotely close to what I have found to be inherent in every good liberal by watching CNN.

[depakid]

39. Long since done

More than that, I've been actively encouraging others to do the same for several years... and made quite a few converts, I might add... including one just the other day.

[donheld]

40. For about two years now

I've been off those channels. They all make me crazy with there slanted, not liberal, "news"

[Bread and Circus]

41. I've already done it, about 9 months ago I stopped watching.

It's crap.

[Cattledog]

42. I work at CNN and I don't watch.

I watch either CBS or NBC's evening newscast, listen to NPR, Air America, read the paper, and the internets. That's all I need. The only, and I mean only time I watch Cable news is during a major live breaking news story.

[truthpusher]

44. What are your favorite internets?

:eyes:

[movie_girl99]

46. DU, Guardian, BBC

[Jackpine Radical]

45. Me? Sure.

However, in my case this is sorta like pledging to quit reading Uzbeki poetry. I wasn't doing a whole lot of it BEFORE taking the pledge.

[Jack The Tab]

47. havent had cable for 3 years now...it's been a sweet time..

nt

[n2mark]

48. I've been doing this...

but after reading the different posts I've talked to several friends, I think 10 of them will no longer watch CNN. I sent CNN this info, for the first time, they sent me their usual standard reply. They did get the word though. I am working on more people to shut off CNN.

[truthpusher]

54. what is the usual standard reply?

[w4rma]

50. Nope. Important to watch to know what other folks are probably thinking

and seeing. Cutting them off and leaving them with so much power towards others is a good recipe for growing out of touch and in the long term making it harder for yourself to make arguments, that tie in to the fantasy land most folks live in.

I think most folks here on DU are smart enough to tell when something on TV is probably propaganda so, I think it's good to keep watching that boob box out of the corner of one eye.

[truthpusher]

51. It has more to do with ...

...the creation of a force based on intelligent discourse as opposed to enveloping yourself in a lesser discourse.

Watching CNN is like watching two people play tic-tac-toe all day long; after about the third or fourth game you get it.

You will never gain anything even remotely close to what I have found to be inherent in every good liberal by watching CNN.

[deadparrot]

52. I'm in-- DU and TDS are my only news sources, anyway.

[leesa]

55. Stopped long ago. But there have to be a few brave souls to report on it

[truthpusher]

62. That's like saying a few brave souls need to...

...eat poop so we can report on the poop eaters(sorry, best example at this hour).

I think we could have such a major impact if we start to create a vocal and visible sector that will have nothing to do with the CNN's of the world.

[Zorra]

56. Why, why, why is any democrat watching these fascist propaganda

programs? To boost their ratings? To listen and watch Orwellian their drivel?

Why? For God's sake, folks, turn it off, and boycott their sponsors.

[mmonk]

57. I'm already there

Only Real Time with Bill Maher now and Newsworld International.

[leftofthedial]

58. I doubt the Red Sox game will end before November 2

so count me in

[Eye and Monkey]

59. No TV, thus no cablenews . By choice. But I'll be happy to pledge.

:toast:

[dave502d]

60. Count me in.

[Bluestarmom]

61. say No! to cable news shows

A couple weeks ago on one of shows I saw that Mike(?)Barnacle guy who I think is a writer for a some New England newspaper
and he was saying when asked his opinion of something
Why does my opinion matter? I'm a journalist why would America
care about what my opinion is....
and I thought you know he's right I'm sick of these guys on cable news shows I don't give a @#$ about what Joe Scarborough thinks
or opines about I don't care about any of these guys and what their opinions are, in fact they disgust me and sicken me, at that time I decided after election day to write them all a notice of intent
about how I don't care about what they think and I was turning their show/s off for good.
I want them to hear the "click" of my TV turning them off
:toast:

[young_at_heart]

63. I gave up about a year ago

I used to like CNN but they all look and sound like Stepford people now.