Those who hate cable news . . .
Slate.com's Jack Shafer has just posted a follow-up piece called "News You Can Lose, Part 2", which is basically a collection of emails from readers who are griping about cable news. The comments expressed by Slate readers in this piece and its predecessor ("News You Can Lose: What I hate about cable TV journalism") make pretty sobering reading. These people really do not like cable news.
Thing is, I would agree with most of their comments most of the time--except that right now, I'm cutting the cable channels a tiny bit of slack. Yes, most of the time CNN, Fox, and MSNBC are simply awful, but when a natural disaster like Katrina occurs, cable news can and often does provide a valuable public service in bringing substational resources to cover the event as widely as possible, communicating to the wider world the scale of what's going on. It's certainly not perfect, but it is helpful to many people, and even to the country as a whole. My rule of thumb is that cable news can be useful and even enlightening up until the point when "packaging" takes over, and instead of real news we get back into reheated information about the missing Aruba teenager, the latest celebrity trial, or whatever. And yes, the cable news channels are already starting to fall back into their normal mode of operations, this time with packaged shows around the hurricane. So I suppose the time to cut them some slack is coming to an end.
Until the next major disaster.
posted by hdougie at 9/05/2005 08:24:00 PM
11 Comments:
I guess you can say that people will do anything to get attention. I agree with the fact that the news channels are being very informative at the moment, but I also feel that in times like these when we do have natural disasters or terrorist attacks, sometimes the corporations just don't know when they've done enough coverage. I feel swamped with stories sometimes, and it makes me not want to turn the tv on to see what is going on; I rather hear it from word of mouth than constantly see the same depressing scenes. In light of these thoughts I have, I would also have to agree that the time to cut them some slack is coming to an end and sometimes enough is enough. I'm glad that we are being informed about the diaster and what steps will be taken next, but does it have to be so "in your face"? I guess its to the discretion of the viewer, and you don't have to watch the news all the time, but it's not just on nbc, or abc, or whatever news channel you prefer to watch. We are being swamped with it in magazines, tv shows, newspapers, the internet...even on campus. I agree with trying to help those in need by donating clothing or having fundraisers, but I guess that the more and more they throw these things in my face, the less and less I want to hear about what is going on...so when is it enough?
Stephanie Rufa
When it comes to cable news, one has to realize that many people who watch it are simply trying to get a handle on what is briefly going on in the world. For this cable news is good. Especially when you live in a rural area with an unreliable paper boy (and even more unreliable newspaper) and do not have the time to surf international websites for stories. Take CNN Headline news for instance. In the fifteen minutes it takes you to get ready for work (or class) one can find out about any major happenings in the world and then ignore all of the human interest stories or anything else that is being over done.
One thing that Jack Shafer and his fellow "media intellectuals" tend to forget is that not everyone has the time or energy or concern to find the indepth story. Also, isnt it possible that cable news channels are adapting to the 'fast-paced'lifestyle and short attention span of America?
colleen keltz
I agree with most of what you are saying in reference to the cable news stations, the issues that are mostly focused on are those that involve people that I would categorize as wealthy. And even though the cable news channels have been doing an outstanding job with coverage and getting a lot of help for the people affected by the hurricane there is still a lot of focus on only the bad things happening. I have to admit I don’t watch as much news as I should but it seems like every time I turn on the TV there are talks of looting and the people that won’t leave their homes, and that is what people seem to be focusing on when they talk about the disaster and it really shouldn’t be.
Jess Thorne
I personally do not agree that cable news lacks the necessary criteria to be considered a respectable source of informative news coverage. Television is likely the top informational resource in America. Even those Americans who never pick up a newspaper can be enlightened as to what's going on around them by simply turning on the T.V. Granted this is not the best way to get access to news coverage. It is always more beneficial to get your information by using multiple news sources. In my opinion, sure cable news doesn't have much to work with when there isn't much going on in the world other than the typical "new studies show that eating bananas with your left hand while standing next to the microwave may cause cancer." But in a time when important information needs to be dispensed to the public, there’s nothing more readily available/unavoidable to Americans than the 10 different cable news programs covering important events in the news such as Hurricane Katrina.
-Karyn Monahan
For better or worse, going back to college has forced me to have minimal cable channels. Though I miss the History, Comedy (miss the Daily Show immensely) and Sci Fi channels, I have to say not having the news channels is a blessing in disguise. The ramming of stories through our ears is obnoxious and unprofessional considering the amount of real news that could be followed in more depth and should be. Lacking the ability to watch the news at any given notice I now depend upon their websites which allow a more selective gathering of the current news. I can grab everything they offer about subjects, or be picky about the amount of information I reguire per story based on their links.
DJ Smith
What I don't understand is what is the big deal with cable anyways? I mean I love to watch my usual shows and everything but in a sense don't you feel like it is wasting time. Instead of watching television a person could being doing any number of things and interacting with people. Besides, most news channels only show the horrors, disasters, and problems that face the world. Rarely do we ever see on television something worthwhile, something with some meaning to it, or even something happy... I think that the news should not only be informative about problems but also should include some happy thoughts and events. Maybe I just always catch the news when there is a natural disaster, another priest gets arrested for molestation, or when I hear that its going to take forty-five dollars to fill up my gas tank now. I guess I'm just an optomist hoping that someday I can turn on the news and see happy people...And I leave you with a thought, 'Why can't we all just be happy.'
Kateri Spellecy
What I don't quite understand is why so many people who complain about cable news continue to watch it. Television is generally a more shallow, fast-paced news source - which has its advantages - if you want more in-depth news there are plenty of alternatives. Just because someone is too lazy to read a newspaper doesn't give them grounds to blast television news. TV news is something like an introduction to the news in my opinion - it catches your attention with the most violent/emotional/eye-catching imagery. If you want to know more, turn to radio or a print source - if you don't, watch Wheel of Fortune.
Jeff DeBellis
I feel like most of the world would be simply lost without cable news. As people are progressively becoming lazier, many people rely on this form of news to inform them about daily occurences. Personally, I don't read the newspaper on a regular basis because it is just easier to turn on the tv. During times where there are major disasters or issues, I believe it to be an excellent source. After a while, it becomes mundane and repetitive. And when there aren't large scale events or crises like these going on, the focus is on entertainment and other unnecessary bits of information. Yet, that is just another issue altogether.
Jillian Levine
I agree with Jeff DeBellis in his argument that yes television can be a great way to get snippets of stories very easily and quickly. In a one hour show it's impossible to get all the news that you'll need in depth. And yes, there are many other sources to get updated from. However, for the amount of news shows and channels that are aired on TV at any given time it seems as if they would be able to do a better job in giving more expansive in depth coverage of things other than gigantic events (Katrina, 9/11, etc)
~Jon Gerlach
Wow... I suppose I have never really given a thought to how "horrible" cable news can be. I guess that's becuase (unfortunately) I don't spend much time watching any news, so I don't pay attention to it. I think that when a major news story is happening channels like CNN or MSNBC are good because they have the abilities and resources to find out what's going on. However, after reading several of the comments in the article I think I agree that they really do drag stories on and on long after it's necessary. It is true that the same images--interesting that we just spent a class discussing images in the media--and the same information keeps coming back over and over again. Sometimes nothing new is to be reported, and still they keep talking about it. I guess they just want their audience to stay tuned. They must want their audience to think that everything they are saying is like "breaking news" when in reality most of it is not.
-Heather Acomb
I am one of those people who hates “packaged” cable news – If I had to watch the same video clip of Michael Jackson showing up to court in his pajamas I might have thrown up – however I agree that sometimes it does do a public service in the event of a disaster. Take September 11 for example – the news was the first way that many people even realized what was happening – it is very different to hear what happened and see a devastating video clip. At the same time even that I might argue was overdone – the same video clips for weeks on end only numbed the whole situation. The same thing is true of Katrina; it has come to the point where anything the cable news has to say is stale and way beyond savior – If I see President Bush on CNN kissing babies again in the near future...
Colleen Bennett
Comn 160
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