American news networks fail to serve their audience
Having cable TV is something that promises so much in the way of entertainment, but pretty soon you come to understand that no matter how many TV channels you have, there is almost never anything worth watching. The only channels that have thus far caught my attention are the news networks. Of course, I’ve watched them before, but never at my own leisure or for prolonged periods of time.
I detest the American news networks. I’ve tried to watch them frequently over the past two or three days, but I find the tone, the presentation, the format, the judgments, and the attitude all very distressing. This is news, for goodness sake; I don’t care what the opinion of the presenter is because I can make my own judgment. By having opinions constantly thrust in your face the news networks are effectively saying that their own audience is too stupid to form its own opinion. Fox News is particularly bad at this. I can’t take Fox News seriously. It is patronising, snide, worthless. The real issues are glazed over and there are regular “debates” during which the news presenter often undermines whomever he is interviewing by airing his own views. In a hard discussion, this is acceptable, but for every single story I think it’s too far. Fox News needs to look at it’s awful product.
The way the news is presented also unsettles me. CNN and the other US networks shout their slogans, they emphasise every word to make it sensational. (The CNN network seems to have made its primary focus entertaining people! What a state these news networks are in.) Small, insignificant stories are yelled at the audience as if to affirm that they have some value. It may just be that I’m British and therefore have a hard time digesting news in an American format. I’m unsure what my American compatriots make of their news networks. Actually, I’d love to hear what they think, and also what they think about my beloved BBC.
I enjoy watching BBC World. I think it has a more humane, serious tone to it that more effectively delivers the issues at hand. It doesn’t try and make them pallatable in a pop culture format. But perhaps Americans find it boring, drab, dreary. However, what I want from news is an unbiased presentation of the facts; I want neutrality. No news can ever be delivered 100% neutral, but sometimes there is a line that the likes of Fox News and CNN cross. Fox News today went so far as to heavily criticise other media outlets (New York Times, Washington Post) for their dealing with the debate over the torture of suspects connected to terrorist groups; strong words were used to slam both newspaper.
Bill O’Reilly of Fox News is the pinnacle of bad reporting. He expects the world to care what he thinks, and in my eyes this is a clear abuse of his power. Bill O’Reilly is more concerned with propaganda than he is hard facts.
If I’ve got it wrong then tell me so; I’m keen to hear other people’s thoughts on this.
June 4th, 2007 at 6:16 am
Fox News has been clearly categorized as a Republican channel and they without shame use their programs to express their political opinion.
The last snippet I’ve seen from that channel was right after the French election. The anchorman ( O’ Reilly ) praising the new President ( who early enough said he would be a friend for America ) with shocking and totally unethical comments. But still concluding that it would take time before he withdraws the anti-France stickers from his website.
http://www.billoreilly.com/site/product?pid=18704&dispid=204
June 4th, 2007 at 8:24 am
I watched Fox once while I was in Colorado, it’s nothing more than a voice box for the close-minded Bush administration, promoting wars.
They’ve had debates like “Why should we care if terrorists are tortured” or “Someone was convicted on 4 counts, but was there even a crime?”..
June 4th, 2007 at 8:46 am
our news networks are working for one thing, ratings and the advertising dollars that come with them. The BBC is supposed to be “free from both political and commercial influence and answers only to its viewers and listeners”
A better comparison would be NPR to BBC, if NPR produced a television product in the states.
I enjoyed the BBC News coverage I saw in SE Asia and will watch it if I see it on PBS rebroadcasts here in the US. I also live near Canada so I get CBC and local Vancouver news broadcasts as well. All much better than their US counterparts.
June 4th, 2007 at 9:45 am
The news programs you refer to are all cable news networks. As an American I can see your point and agree with you. They are for entertainment and most are sensationalized but I don’t mind watching them for what they are. I do enjoy seeing Fred Barnes and Mort Kondrake and listening to what they have to say.
For a more neutral news program you can always tune into the nightly news on the national networks i.e ABC, NBC or CBS. On these programs you get less opinion and more facts, but you probably don’t get them on your cable in Phuket. I think you are going to find a hidden agenda on any news program you watch, its human nature.
June 4th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Now I know why John Stewart and the gang keep on poking fun at Bill O’Reilly… Fox needs to do something with their reputation. Even Saturday Night Live can’t help it with their Bush interviews on Fox segments…
June 4th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
I just watched the the film ‘Weapons Of Mass Deception’ which deals exactly with what you’re talking about. The film maker talks specifically about Fox News. I have links to this film in my blog today. It’s the best documentary on this subject I have ever seen.
June 4th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
You are right on target. Serious issues are often put aside in favor of fluffy celebrity stories. (We’re supposed to give a rip about Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan! How does one say “who gives a rat’s patootie” in Thai?)
American news is not intended to inform. It is intented to promote more produce and consume madness. Half the shows are really commercials.
As for the BBC, I like it rather well. It is intelligently and unemotionally presented… and they talk about things that happen in the rest of the world - not just the US.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:34 am
I have to admit as an American I do find the BBC a bit boring but it’s probably because I am used to the sensational overdramatic coverage from our networks. I totally agree that they are lacking in objectivity….FOX kills me.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Nothing grates me more than sensationalistic news stories. You can always rely on the beeb for a serious tone, which I personally prefer.
Since you mentioned O’Reilly, CNN have an equally obnoxious presenter, Nancy Grace.
June 5th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
I used to get CNN in mainland Europe, and it seems to be a somewhat different, more sober version (with lots of British / non-American presenters) than the “mainstream” CNN.
June 5th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
The high school at which I teach has been the object of O’Reilly’s slanderous vitriol for the past couple of weeks due to a conference on world affairs panel that rubbed conservatives the wrong way; he’s interviewed my students, skewed facts, and spurred a pretty awesome backlash of petitions and whatnot by the student body. I totally agree with your evaluation of American media; I just wish I wasn’t mired in it on a daily basis.