Question about the unwatchability of TV news

[BurtWorm]

I think most of us agree that most TV news is by far unwatchable. A DUer named veracity started a thread analyzing why CNN news, in particular, is so awful. Several posters replied that the solution is to stop watching cable news altogether. This is of course an acceptable solution at the personal level, but if all leftists dropped out of the viewing audience, wouldn't that make the alleged right-wing bias problem even more of a problem, seeing as the medium content providers would stop feeling obliged to please that protion of the potential viewing public?

One reason the media began to leap through hoops for wingers is that wingers cracked the whip.

So my question is: should the left crack the whip to try to make TV news at least more fair? Or is there something inherent in the medium that is inimical to left interests?

[Wetzelbill]

1. I think there is all kinds of biases

In particular, big business and status quo. The entertainment bias. It is more entertaining to watch Rush or Coulter go off like a maniac than it is to watch someone more moderate or to the left who is intelligent and laid back. Intelligence is boring to our MTV permeated minds. That is why we get watered down fast-food news. The average person gets satiety from it, but nothing of true value. Personally, as far as the entertainment part goes, I think Greg Palast, Will Pitt, and Al Franken would all be great entertaining contradictions to most commentators. I'd love to see Will and Coulter on the same show together. Bias kills that idea. What people like us say, threatens the status quo.

[BurtWorm]

21. Have you read Eric Alterman's "Sound and Fury"

or "What Liberal Bias?" Both books address the reasons for the present state of bias in the medium, and it has nothing to do with public service (of course) and everything to do with money (again of course) and intense pressure from influential bastards on the right. And from robotic "grass roots" rank and filers who are always ready to bellyache about liberal bias.

The media have to be made afraid of the left--afraid of losing us and turning us off. If we want them to change.

[ixion]

2. I would be all for holding the media accountable

in theory, journalism should be unbiased towards either right or left, and should simply be reporting the 'facts' as closely as they can. I, for one, hold the media largely responsible for the position we're in today, becuase they've allowed WH propaganda to pass as fact. Yet, like a democracy, change must come from within. Given over to a regulatory agency (can you say FCC?) leads us to where we are now, which is by and large without an objective mainstream media outlet.

[Ilsa]

3. My dh stopped watching CNN

when Aaron Brown changed his hair color for the second time in a few months.

[Enraged_Ape]

4. My opinion on your first question

The media moguls know how big their potential audience is. If the RW networks began losing liberal viewers en masse, maybe someone would finally feel like they could profit from an untapped market.

As it is though, people watch anyway because there are no alternatives. It never amazes me how many people watch this garbage merely because it's the only thing that's on, then they go on to complain about it. Remote control technology has made it so much easier just to turn the blasted thing off.

[BurtWorm]

22. It's one thing to complain to the wall

That doesn't do anything but relieve stress. It's another to complain--en masse--everytime the media acts "unfairly."

[Bandit]

5. I think if the entire left quite watching they would fold up

Remember Gore won a majority which tells me that a majority of americans are still progressive thinkers. Either the news networks would close their doors or they would bend over backwards trying to regain their lost audience. Remember Money Talks Bullshit Walks

[AndyTiedye]

6. The Downside of Having a Nice Home Theater Setup

If you think the news is horrible on a tiny screen
you really don't want to see it filling up an entire wall.

[AndyTiedye]

7. We Are Not Counted in the Ratings

> I think if the entire left quite watching they would fold up.

Nope. Only the "Nielsen Families" get to vote in that vitally important election known as "the ratings", and they're all diehard Republicans.
The advertisers like it that way. It isn't total audience share that matters, after all,
it is the share of those people who automatically believe whatever they see on TV.
Those people are nearly always Republicans.

[chadm]

8. Boycotting is the only way to fight it

Also, when we stop watching they stop controlling our thoughts. We are then able to undermine the positions of our opposition because we have facts and they just have quasi-conventional wisdom. The more we can contradict mainstream news the more seeds of doubt we plant and slowly things change.

Are you suggesting that we watch this propaganda for some greater good?

[BurtWorm]

9. One could make the case that watching propaganda

with a critical eye and a readiness to act against it is in the public good, yes. But I wasn't suggesting that above. I was asking questions hoping to stir discussion.

[Oracle]

10. Stop watching...

I did almost eleven month's ago...and I'm more informed than ever before.

[BurtWorm]

12. Actually, I gave up watching, too.

I'm just wondering if tuning out is the responsible thing to do in a democracy.

[Pastiche423]

16. Tuning out

tv, is NOT tuning out democracy.

I gave up cable over a year ago. Since then, I have become much more active in the democratic process.

The U.S. tv media is not the only venue for news. In fact, it is the piss poorest of all venues.

[BurtWorm]

17. No shit. It's not me I'm worried about.

There's a reason why press freedom is covered in the first amendment of the Bill of Rights. It's because the press, now known as the media, was thought to be essential to the political system. It was thought to be essential to have an informed citizenry, and to have a free press, unfettered by government pressure, to provide the requisite information. Of course the closet monarchists in the Federalist party didn't feel that way, which is why this freedom wasn't included in the original part of the consitution, but the earliest Democrats certainly did.

Considering that most Americans get their news from TV, and considering that most Americans still believe Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11, isn't this a problem every American should be concerned about?

[chadm]

11. Sorry

My tone was too harsh.

[BurtWorm]

13. No apology necessary.

I can understand posting in anger about the way things are. I do it all the time.

:hi:

[indigo32]

14. It's all about the money for the most part

sure I can't stand the right wing bias of certain stations. But I can't stand the fluff of ALL stations. Thats why I listen to NPR...and yes I know people get upset about certain things there... but shit! they treat me like an adult and they aren't my only source of news.
The nonnews on most TV news is unbelievably predictable and boring to me. I tuned into the Fox debates. The punditry afterwards I could have written for them... why bother watching :shrug:

[BurtWorm]

15. Exactly right about the punditry.

I may have been slow, but I stopped watching punditry after debates in 2000. I have no patience, tolerance or stomach for it. It's pure, unmitigated bullshit, no matter which netowrk--PBS included--you're on. I hate the idea of "Now for partisan analysis" on News Hour post-debates. Who needs to know what the partisans are spewing? Who needs their canned opinions, prepared at least 24 hours ahead of time, anyway? What service is that to the viewer?

[smallprint]

18. i have to say this

>>is there something inherent in the medium that is inimical to left >>interests?

ummm... welllll... i hate to be the one to say this but... have you ever read anything by Noam Chomsky?

You should also consider renting the video Manufacturing Consent sometime. It clears up a lot of misconceptions about how the media biz works.

[BurtWorm]

20. That still doesn't deal with the question

is it inherent in the medium, not is it inherent in the system?


PS: Sorry for being snippy in the thread head I just edited.

[Yupster]

19. You're certainly not alone

Not many people are watching tv news these days.

The days of Walter Cronkite are long gone. The worst part is most people aren't listening to news on the radio or reading newspapers either. They just aren't hearing any news.