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Will Bunch, “Solving our nation’s dilemma: CNN News, CNN Rumor, and CNN Blonde,” Attytood, Aug. 18:
So what can be done about this tidal wave of made-up news? Well, we can talk about making it stop until we’re blue in the face — but that’s not going to happen. With only three main cable news outlets — one tied too closely to the GOP spin machine and the other two in a desperate scramble for ratings — there is simply no way that they will exercise any kind of restraint. And as long as the current crew is running the federal machinery, there will always be an anonymous government official willing to give CNN or MSNBC a “scoop” about exploding Breck at some West Virginia airport. [...]
So it is with news — there are, it should now be evident, different “formats” of news. For example, right this minute on CNN, about 40 percent of the news is Real News (Iraq, Bush lawbreaking) and about 60 percent is Made-Up News (terror alerts, JonBenet Ramsey). Unfortunately, it’s the Made-Up News that gets the highest ratings.
Will Bunch, Daily News, today:
You know what they say: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Answers awaited in Colorado [Daily News]
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Monday, August 21, 2006
A History Lesson for the Modern Media
Boswell found out early on how seriously Dr. Johnson took the English language. Boswell casually “happened to say, it would be terrible if he (Dr. Johnson) should not find a speedy opportunity of returning to London.”
Johnson scolded him by saying, “Don’t, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters. It would not be terrible, though I were to be detained some time here. The practice of using words of disproportionate magnitude is, no doubt, too frequent every where…”
The quotation serves as a good lesson for our modern media whether in news, entertainment, or commercials. The culture is rife with the “greatest,” “most fabulous,” “never before seen” use of words that are disproportionate with the magnitude of the event.
What used to be the province of carnival barkers is now a daily insult to the intelligence of the TV audience. All in hopes of making a mediocre event much greater than it is.
A movie, a baseball game, and a 10yr old Colorado murder =
Philadelphia news
Uh, if you read the actual story, you might find it’s not exactly what it seems to be.
Also, lost in the great debates about bloggers v. journalists and newhangled “newspaper bloggers” is that newspaper bloggers may have bosses who can still order them to write about a subject. Somehow, Atrios (for example) doesn’t have that problem.
“Newhangled?” How does that typo even happen?
Clearly, your post needs an editor too.
Damn Shan. Everyone makes typos. An editor might tell you that comma is superfluous.
I think you need a comma after “Damn.”
See? Everyone makes typos!