The News
Whatever happened to these “News Channels” on television? For a number of reasons, I find it very difficult these days to watch the news. First of all, I’ve grown weary of reading “America at War”, “Anthrax Attack”, “Region in Conflict”, “War on Terror”, and similar other titles that are forever posted across the screen. When did it become necessary to post titles in bold banners with every story? I understand how these banners could be useful in grabbing the attention of the casual viewer when there is breaking news of national or international importance, but the practice of continuously posting them only lessens their value.
Another change at CNN, FNN, and MSNBC are the use of tickers. Once only used to report the daily stock quotes, tickers now continuously scroll across the screen with the news of the day. Granted, these tickers may very well be useful for the viewer in learning about a breaking story. However, the current sales receipts of Harry Potter is not what I would deem as breaking news nor as being ticker-worthy.
There has been another change at these “News Channels” that is far more upsetting than tickers or continuous banners. The news anchor with the background in journalism is being replaced by a “personality”. Greg Jarrett, Chris Jansing, Paula Zahn, and the like are not journalists. They don’t report the news, they titillate it. With every story they voice, sensationalism drips from their lips. Their “National Enquirer” approach to the news magnifies every story out of proportion. Their arrival on these “News Channels” is yet another sign that the news itself has taken a back-seat to packaging, entertainment, and ratings.
Granted, what is news and what is not news, is a question that journalists have been grappling with for a long time. Yet I cannot remember a time when this question is in more need of answer than now. However, these “News Channels” no longer seem to be interested in this question. In recent history we have been force-fed daily doses of OJ Simpson, Monica Lewinsky, and Gary Condit to name just a few. If it weren’t for the tragic happenings of September 11, I imagine the “Condit Controversy” would still be posted across our screens. Now we find ourselves in the midst of 24 hour coverage of “America’s New War”, where oftentimes there is nothing new to report, so the same story is regurgitated over and over and over again with the same voice of urgency and sensationalism.