What is news ...

[coco77]

I am asking this question because for the past few weeks, I have heard complaints from the media talking heads, posters on this site and others including the media about why Paris hilton is not news and why are we interested in it. What I want to know is why is the Sopranos news? The media has the nerve to question the public about why they are interested in it when they are there to get the story and have been on for hours talking about it.

[rurallib]

1. All day I've heard about the SOPRANOS - it is a TV show

A fucking TV show. Nobody gets killed in real life, health care isn't impacted. It is fucking entertainment.
The fucking boobs that run the news(bullshit) companies are just a bunch of dummies!

[coco77]

5. But, they want to act as though we are being petty because we are...

interested in the paris hilton case. People are interested because it is about a variety of things and most importantly it is REAL LIFE not FICTIONAL.

[sandnsea]

10. You're interested in Paris Hilton in jail?

For driving on a suspended license? Seriously - that interests you?

The Sopranos has always been a commentary on American life, politics, etc. Although I would hope they don't cut away from the Gonzales vote to replay the Sopranos clip again.

[coco77]

12. Damn right...

the Sopranos is bullshit..

[sandnsea]

15. No no no

I don't care if you care about Sopranos.

I'm just really baffled that you could really care about someone going to jail over a traffic violation.

[zonmoy]

2. I figure all the main stream media is for now is misdirection

which makes me worry about what the people are being distracted from.

[Jim__]

3. Everything that happens is "news".

But, given limited resources on what news can be reported, wasting large amounts of those resources on gossip about a the doings of a slutty heiress, or a TV show, is a waste.

[Uncle Joe]

4. They're trying to glamorize organized crime to the American People,

because they enabled it to power.

[Rex]

6. Shit sells, especially if it is still steaming.

News makes money. Paris's dad makes money. Paris is news.

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. Two basic definitions of news

•An event or events that has/have a great effect on any number of people.

•An event or events that has/have some effect on a great number of people.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. The Sopranos are a helluva lot more entertaining than the "news" about Paris Hilton.

At least "The Sopranos" don't advertise themselves as "news" though their social commentary beats the hell out of what passes for news in American media.

[coco77]

9. Its all news and entertainment...

my point is why is it ok for them to talk about the sopranos every five minutes and when they do, I never hear the "this isn't news" or " why is the public so interested" some have even said they won't report on it.

Another problem I have with this is that they are really worried about the public looking at this story because it relates to the rich just as they did when the guy did the shooting at the college. They portray people who are interested in it as hating the rich,. They did this when the shooting happened, they (mainly Fox) claimed the shooting occurred because the guy hated the rich. From what I can see they are glorifying murder when they discuss the Sopranos, just as they do with the war.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. News Is Nothing More Than The Reporting Of Any Given Event.

As to what 'events' are worthy, that's merely open for personal interpretation. From a network or cable sense, the worthiness simply comes from what the most people in public will tune into. In that case, both Paris and the Sopranos are acceptable, even if not to us.

[coco77]

13. I can agree with that..

what I don't agree with is the fact that the media wants to tell me what I should be interested when they aren't even really showing many things that they should, then they act as if they are so outraged about a television show when they should be outraged about this president and what is happening to this country.

[BlooInBloo]

14. News is DUer-sheep slavishly aping whatever the MSM tells them to...

... be it Anna Nicole, Rosie, The View, or Paris Hilton. DUers will happily lap it up for weeks on end, and then move to the next idiot story.