Do You Watch The News To Actually Get "News"?

[Marc]

I'd argue that it's the talk radio that's the validation of a political view point rather then the tv news (baring those who only watch fox news).

Bob Novak once compared Rush Limbaugh to a light post for a drunk - wasn't for the illumination- it was the for the support.

And lets face it generally the new services don't have enough to push a political news barrow. The evening news bulletin around the world is usually 30mins. Generally there's 7 minutes of ads giving you 22mins for the actual bulletin. If you're lucky that will give you 15 minutes for the actual news, 5 for the sports, 2 for the weather. That doesn't count when they stick sports items in as news items.

I choose the new service I watch because it does a better job of showing the news it's competitor in the time slot though that's damning with faint praise because they are both pretty crap news services.

 

[JoeZhang]

Does BBC America have news and if so is it neutral?

It's just BBC World Service, isn't it ?

I purchased a DAB radio just to listen to the world service - it's amazing how much you pick up about the world in just one day...

 

[SPOCKED]

WHDH Channel 7 Boston: LOCAL LIVE COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON

Yeah I can count on talking heads tripping over each others scripts as they tell me how soon cholesterol is going to kill me every day. I can count on some nitwit, beat reporter standing in 3 feet of snow telling me how cold it is outside and what I should wear under my pants. I can count on how exciting American Idol was last night and what not to miss on their prime time line up. I can count on a minute with the local anchors sucking up to and yukking up with to a braindead Charles Gibson. And I can count on my grandma, Channel 7 News Boston, correcting my politics until I'm a cold, cholesterol-filled, snow-covered corpse who always voted wrong...

 

[Mallory]

Does BBC America have news and if so is it neutral?

It's just BBC World Service, isn't it ?

There's a BBC America cable channel here.

 

[Kryton]

BBC America runs ad schedules like the other networks, so a lot of times shows get slashed up to fit the time slot. (That is, shows like Monty Python and several others...I don't know about the newscasts.)

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

I think the 24 hour news cycle's to blame for the lack of real news. If you're a network with set times for your news broadcasts and the cable networks have been running the story for 6 hours, you've missed the boat.

An interesting article I found about it.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I definitely believe it.

True story.

I was at work last week and this dude was sitting at the bar. On the two TVs surrounding the bar was CNN. The dude asks the bartender, "Um, can you turn it to Fox News?"

The bartenders asks, "You don't like CNN?"

The dude scoffed. "Hrmf. The COMMUNIST NEWS NETWORK? I don't think so. I only get my news from Fox and the Drudge Report."

True story. I had to roll my eyes and walk away as Sean Hannity's mug appeared on the TVs.

 

[WillsBabe]

An interesting article I found about it.

Thanks for the link. It is an interesting article. I was particularly interested in the "content contradicts headline" bit. I've noted that loads of times on the news. Recently there was an article that purported to report that one thing had happened, while, when you watched the article, the exact opposite thing happened. The exact opposite thing being a good outcome. But that, of course, wasn't what the news media wanted to report.

 

[Dayton3]

I like FoxNews but I'm fully aware their commentary has a heavy slant to it.

Personally, I just figure it offsets the slanted coverage from other sources.

When you look at the actual "news". That is those short bursts at the top and bottom of the hour, there really isn't much difference in the networks.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

An interesting article I found about it.

Thanks for the link. It is an interesting article. I was particularly interested in the "content contradicts headline" bit. I've noted that loads of times on the news. Recently there was an article that purported to report that one thing had happened, while, when you watched the article, the exact opposite thing happened. The exact opposite thing being a good outcome. But that, of course, wasn't what the news media wanted to report.

Read the book he was pimping. It was pretty enjoyable.

 

[captcalhoun]

yeah, i only watch BBC though...and occassionally Sky Sports News...

 

[Marc]

I definitely believe it.

True story.

I was at work last week and this dude was sitting at the bar. On the two TVs surrounding the bar was CNN. The dude asks the bartender, "Um, can you turn it to Fox News?"

The bartenders asks, "You don't like CNN?"

The dude scoffed. "Hrmf. The COMMUNIST NEWS NETWORK? I don't think so. I only get my news from Fox and the Drudge Report."

True story. I had to roll my eyes and walk away as Sean Hannity's mug appeared on the TVs.

It's a common failing - particularly with some conservatives who bleat about biased media then take their news from sources like fox news because it tells them what they want to hear.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

TV news generally sucks, with the exception of dramatic breaking news (like plane crashes, disasters, etc). The best, most comprehensive news source remains the daily newspaper (both in print and online).

 

[Holdfast]

Does BBC America have news and if so is it neutral?

BBC News in the UK has its own subtle biases; don't know what BBC America gets.

 

[Squiggy]

I only watch news that conforms to my liberal American-hating ways. Luckily there's plenty of liberal news out there.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to smoke some pot, burn the flag, spit on a veteran, and have casual sex with a hippie communist Muslim while Keith Olberman spews his evil rhetoric seeing as how that's the only way I can finish now.

 

[jgdst]

Does BBC America have news and if so is it neutral?

BBC News in the UK has its own subtle biases; don't know what BBC America gets.

True about the biases, but I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with ITN's ACTION NEEEEWS! on ITV. Like coming up with "witty" headlines for every news segment, and Alistair Stewart shouting at you.

To be honest, I think I watch ITN just to prove to myself I'm not imagining it. The BBC has its faults, but it also has the almighty Huw Edwards, who could kill a man at 500 paces with his razor sharp newsbrain. True story.

Watching Newsnight or Channel 4 News is really more of a private game to see if I can predict when Paxman/Snow will shout at a guest and make out they're worse than mentally challenged

From what I've seen CNN is okay for getting America's take on the world's biggest stories, and Fox News is a test of endurance to see how long they can last without actually giving you any news, but rather a lot of odd opinions, some banter, or a reporter in the field in a bulletproof vest does the Action Run away from a completely deserted area claiming that they're in mortal danger. It's actually quite addictive viewing.

 

[auntiehill]

I turn on CNN at least once a day, but I also read the news online, since I spend most of my day in front of a computer.

 

[mimic]

Most of the time, the only "news" I watch on TV is The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Same here.

And me.

I stopped paying close attention to the news cycle once the Russia-Georgia thing subsided, but during the primaries I was reading the NYTimes regularly. Now I just read the school paper, which doesn't cover much outside of Penn State stuff, and watch Mr. Stewart and Mr. Colbert.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I get most of my news online. It's convenient, but it's no Fiona Bruce.

 

[Holdfast]

True about the biases, but I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with ITN's ACTION NEEEEWS! on ITV. Like coming up with "witty" headlines for every news segment, and Alistair Stewart shouting at you.

ITN news, for non-UK readers

To be honest, I think I watch ITN just to prove to myself I'm not imagining it. The BBC has its faults, but it also has the almighty Huw Edwards, who could kill a man at 500 paces with his razor sharp newsbrain. True story.

I get most of my news online. It's convenient, but it's no Fiona Bruce.

I always preferred Fiona Bruce, though the BBC weather can be a bit odd...

Sophie Raworth is the best of the beeb's blondes (top legs, too) but I sadly can't find Jan Ravens' wonderful "jolly hockeysticks" impression of her online