News - if thats what you wanna call it...

[Kamuro]

[SIZE=1]As the title implies, I'm really baffled at the recent news I've seen. Now I know it varies between each state but if it's anything like my own then you know what I mean. I've found nearly every channel to be cluttered with useless information and blatant pleas for higher ratings. Now I here rumors, thoughts, assumptions, whatever, of important things happening all the time yet when I find myself watching the news I see lackluster stories and fake people.

Yet, however many stories they have, only 1 of the 20 is actually a good thing. People say "love life," yet the only examples I've been seeing as of late of "life" is random kidnappings and death. Is this what we've all been reduced to? I mean, shouldn't there be some type of balance? Parents worry about their kids watching shows of ill nature and as of now the news should be under that category.

The only news show I really enjoy is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, merely because its hilarious to see him make fun of all the so-called news across the world. Things so stupid that even retarded people wonder why it's taking up time when they could be watching Judge Judy. So, what do you think? And what are some utterly ridiculous news stories you've heard? Things that you, well, just don't care about.[/SIZE]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

I love [i]The Daily Show[/i], and I think that they do a really good job of pointing out some of the non-news things shown on the news (such as the interview with Ronald McDonald on MSNBC. Not as the person who plays the role, but as the Ronald McDonald character). However, I think that Comedy Central's new show, [i]Mind of Mencia[/i], actually beats Jon Stewart in that area.

For those who haven't watched [i]Mind of Mencia[/i], the show has a segment entitled "Why the F@#& is This News?", where Carlos Mencia points out something on the news that shouldn't have been. For example, in the most recent episode, he brought up the story of a student who threw up on the Spanish teacher and was accused of doing it intentionally (yes, you read that right).

Oh, I have to mention the whole mess with the Canadian store selling copies of [i]Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince[/i] before its release. That one got way too much attention. I mean, a court order was issued to those who'd bought the book, legally forbidding them from telling anybody anything about the book. Something is wrong with society when the accidental sale of a book before its release date is not only international news, but the subject of a court order (and to the people who bought the book, at that. I haven't heard anything about the person or people who sold it). Personally, I was startled that this didn't make "Why the F#$& is this News?". Well, maybe next episode.

[Semjaza]

I watch the Daily Show sometimes. The sad part is that what basically amounts to a comedy show goes over news and problems that other news outlets don't even attempt to go after for some reason.

Most of the news here is basically like Extra with some local crap thrown in. You find about about celebrities and how some new odor absorber works and then, if you're lucky, you'll find out about something bad that happened in some other country. Of course, certain other countries are completely ignored (a recently occurring genocide, for example).

I'm not sure what the reason is for this, but I know a lot of it revolves around how stupid, fat and lazy most people in America are. We'd rather hear about how Martha Stewart was called "M. Diddy" (stupidest nickname in existance) about 40 million times than what's actually going on with our own laws, politicians and general hometown related things. If any of these news outlets actually report news they make heavy attempts to slant it in some liberal or conservative way. It's hard to get anything remotely objective anymore. The idea that I should have to read foreign papers for important breaking news related to our own country is absolutely disgusting. It's all just really sad.

[satan665]

[QUOTE=Generic NPC #3]
I'm not sure what the reason is for this, but I know a lot of it revolves around how stupid, fat and lazy most people in America are. We'd rather hear about how Martha Stewart was called "M. Diddy" (stupidest nickname in existance) about 40 million times than what's actually going on with our own laws, politicians and general hometown related things.[/QUOTE]

We may be overwhelmingly fat, but really even us Americans don't care much for that celebrity gossip crap and kidnapping news. People have been complaining for years that the news is sensationalistic, negative and too entertainment-based but nobody is changing their broadcasts anyway. Most people don't want to watch all this garbage, its just all you're stuck with. If someone actually put a smart and comprehensive global news show on the air and gave it any sort of decent publicity, people would watch it.

Its just all thats on, what choice do you have? Watch depressing trash about the next attractive white family to be hurt or abducted; or celebrity marriage updates. I'd lean towards the celeb stuff myself even.

[Semjaza]

[QUOTE=satan665]We may be overwhelmingly fat, but really even us Americans don't care much for that celebrity gossip crap and kidnapping news. People have been complaining for years that the news is sensationalistic, negative and too entertainment-based but nobody is changing their broadcasts anyway. Most people don't want to watch all this garbage, its just all you're stuck with. If someone actually put a smart and comprehensive global news show on the air and gave it any sort of decent publicity, people would watch it.

Its just all thats on, what choice do you have? Watch depressing trash about the next attractive white family to be hurt or abducted; or celebrity marriage updates. I'd lean towards the celeb stuff myself even.[/QUOTE]

How about not watching it at all and reading decent papers and getting news on the internet or the radio? There's alternatives for everyone and some of them even happen to be on TV.

I don't think the complainers are in the majority whatsoever and even if they are, complaining and doing absolutely nothing to rectify it just is another amazing example of how freaking lazy our country is to begin with. It doesn't take any more time to pop onto a couple of newsfeed websites and read some articles than it does to sit on the couch and watch the local news.

[Kamuro]

[SIZE=1]Of course there's other alternatives, and I do take advantage them, the post was merely to take a step back and really ponder why what they put on TV is actually there. I can't really see the News changing, and if it's always gonna be this way then why not simply discuss it? And if it really bothered me to the extent of doing something about it, what exactly could I do? Write a disgruntled letter to the Today Show concerning their lack of what I consider to be important news?

The basis was just to sort of laugh at the extremes some News shows have gone to to attract veiwers who only watch it for show value rather then actual information. I'd hate to generalize, but NPC is right, a lot of people just don't get it.[/SIZE]

[Azure Rose]

[quote name='Generic NPC #3']I watch the Daily Show sometimes. The sad part is that what basically amounts to a comedy show goes over news and problems that other news outlets don't even attempt to go after for some reason.[/quote]
[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Haha, yeah but at least someone's doing it and people are paying attention to it, even if it is a comedy show. You're right though, it's quite sad that the "real" news only seems to care about which celebrity wore the wrong Prada pumps with her Versacci dress while the "fake" news actually gives some insight as to what's going on in the world.

...And when the news isn't busy playing E! channel with a stock ticker at the bottom, the only news you get is about grisely murders, car accidents, and generally tragic situations. No news, just fear mongering. And watching CNN or MSNBC you'd think there wasn't a world beyond U.S. borders, and that important stuff actually went on there besides the London portion of the Live 8 concert...Honestly, the news is sensationalized and slanted and just damn depressing. Lol, that's why I stopped watching. It's much easier to just pull up the internet and go to BBC or Euronews.com to find out what's up. And there, Martha Stewart doesn't ever make front page news! :P[/COLOR]

[Pumpkin]

[FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=1]As far as I can see the news is suppose to report trajedies. Don't you want to know whats going on in your area? Yeah its depressing but your educated about it. I don't know its never bothered me before. What's bothered me mostly, is that NBC and other high news stations are now mostly reporting only celebrity news and even have their own channel, "Celebrity Justice". Yet somehow their lives seem more important now then giving us the news?

What I found a funny incident is when Paris Hilton's dog Tinkerbell went missing, every news station went into a frenzy and had broadcasts about it. A dog is more important then giving us the news? JUST because it's her dog. I just found that a bit sad. In the end, she was happy about the publicity and I wouldn't be suprised if it was all a publicity stunt. It's not hard to imagine what people do for fame. Anyways, yes I agree reading online is a lot better way to get the facts then the phony ones on TV. [/FONT][/SIZE]

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] Ah, news.

I love Jon Stewart, but I don't watch his show regularly only because I don't like watching tv in general. I get most of my news by going on CNN.com and reading Newsweek/Time. News channels only care about ratings, and most of them are taking a conservative turn, so I don't even like watching them anymore. You're never going to escape the mass media while in the US...

I was at camp (an academic one) and my instructor decided to update us on all the current events because we were practically cut off from the rest of the world. The media discovered the 'secret notes' or whatever between Blaire and other world leader about the Iraq war months ago, but they decided to give us the news only recently. And this is only an example... the whole class got into a huge debate over the whole Newsweek problem with the article about the Quran.

Yeah, anyways. You can't escape it, unless someone here knows an amazing place where they can get hard facts. [/color]

[satan665]

[QUOTE=Generic NPC #3]How about not watching it at all and reading decent papers and getting news on the internet or the radio? There's alternatives for everyone and some of them even happen to be on TV.

I don't think the complainers are in the majority whatsoever and even if they are, complaining and doing absolutely nothing to rectify it just is another amazing example of how freaking lazy our country is to begin with. It doesn't take any more time to pop onto a couple of newsfeed websites and read some articles than it does to sit on the couch and watch the local news.[/QUOTE]

Its not like if you don't like the news you can really change it. Going to another source isn't going to help CNN get any better, they will still suck as much as if you were watching it. Also, not everyone has the internet or even cable for that matter so some people are really stuck with broadcast news. Thankfully some of it is still pretty good.

I don't think that its fair to say that most people are lazy and should be expected to necessarily change the news status-quo. Most people have to worry about money and family as their main priorities and don't have as much free time to explore this stuff as us slacker 20-somethings.

[kaisha]

I hate the news now, they never talk anout anything thats really news anymore. Yesterday I saw a story on the news (it was their top story btw) that said, quote " They wore flip flops to see the president has casual dressing gone too far?". My mom walked in the living room right after it came on, I ranted for about 10 mins I think.