Do YOU profit from having CNN or similar stations?

[carlosMM]

CNN claims to be the best newsservice in the world, and, listening to them, I sometimes wonder how the world managed to function without every politicians farts being transmitted live to every corner of the world before.


But, to be honest, if I had read about Saddams capture this morning in the paper, it would have been as much a joy as it was hearing it on the radio yesterday, and nobody would have had to suffer through endless repeats of the same pixlish video of his dental check again and again.......


Ok, sometimes you need the pics, but do we really need pictures and videos of everything all over the world all the time? OTOH, they are often faster and better than government agencies, so politicians often get a better 'quick feel' for a situation from TV.

I personally would be better off without that news hype. Stations now are in such a hurry to get the best footage that they often report inaccurately or sometimes even knowingly false, also, they try to tie you to the screen by filling the time between important news with innuendo of the 'we talk ot the son's friend of the former attorney generals neighbour who read about the crime in 1982' stuff. Wastes my time, actually makes understanding connections between events harder, and generally keeps people from thinking!


What about you? How do you feel?

 

[Immortal]

saturation media, an unfortunate consequence of too many TV stations.

 

[Akka]

I don't have TV. Does this answer your question ? ^^

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Akka
I don't have TV. Does this answer your question ? ^^

yep.
neiter do I, btw

 

[KingBishop]

I prefer to get news of this magnitude from foreign-language and international sites as they tend to be a little more "objective"

 

[Turner]

Back when the sniper attacks were happening in DC last year, I spent a lot of time with FoxNews on in the background. Since we invaded Iraq, I've been watching it more too. I guess one might even say since 9/11.

But do I need it to survive? I'd say, nah. I get my news from a lot of sources, mostly local news and the internet. I hit google news about once or twice a day, and listen to the news on the way home form work. Plus the evening news I catch the headlines before I go to work.

So the cable news networks are nice, but I can do without them.

 

[Hitro]

I like them, as most other things on TV suck and I don't listen to the radio. CNN is however by far the worst of those I have, and yes, I do have N24...

 

[Superevie]

I like having it. You always know what is going on! You can't sit there and watch them for a few hours though because they are awfully repetitve. But if you need to see how the DOW is doing (cracked 10000, baby!! ) or if Saddam is caught, you can get it in a nanosecond. None of the newspapers yesterday even had the news on Saddam. Newspapers, to me are a dying breed. I was watching some of 60 minutes last night and Andy Rooney was saying that there used to be "extras" to the newspapers when a story hit. It's that same little kid yelling "Extra extra! Read all about it!" That was the new development, and news could only be transmitted through newspapers. We are blessed now to have these channels. Might as well use them.

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Superevie
you can get it in a nanosecond.

but that#s the point, isn't it, you only get what THEY deem the big thing, for all the rest you msut sit and wait. If it was in paper then you could simply flip through some presedenst current affairs with whomever and the dows latest drop and find what you want to know, - that's why they have that annoying ticker running at the bottom!

And, where from do you know that something is on that you want to see NOW??????? You must then watch them continuously or rely on others who do....

 

[Hitro]

Originally posted by carlosMM
And, where from do you know that something is on that you want to see NOW??????? You must then watch them

You say that as if it was a problem.

 

[philippe]

I think its relatevily good but i rather watch newses where you feel the word reparation in it

 

[Superevie]

Originally posted by carlosMM


but that#s the point, isn't it, you only get what THEY deem the big thing, for all the rest you msut sit and wait. If it was in paper then you could simply flip through some presedenst current affairs with whomever and the dows latest drop and find what you want to know, - that's why they have that annoying ticker running at the bottom!

And, where from do you know that something is on that you want to see NOW??????? You must then watch them continuously or rely on others who do....

Well, sure. There's always a bias. Generally a liberal one, but that is an entire new discussion. Local news will only tell you about babies drowning and some hill billy who parked his car in the middle of the highway, or a house that caught fire that day. The 24 stations aren't perfect, I'll give you that, but they generally have the neccessary stories. Give me an example of a time where you missed a news story that you needed at that moment, but you had to wait to get it because another topic you didn't like was being covered.

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Hitro

You say that as if it was a problem.

no, not a problem for me, but if you must rely on others that will take time - so why not wait for the hourly news on the radio? Then, you cna check stuff on the net, without beig bombarded with non-experts and repetitive feeds from nowhere.

In essence, they create a need for themselves - circular supply-demand!

 

[Hitro]

Originally posted by carlosMM
no, not a problem for me, but if you must rely on others that will take time - so why not wait for the hourly news on the radio? Then, you cna check stuff on the net, without beig bombarded with non-experts and repetitive feeds from nowhere.

What makes you think the news on the radio or on the net would have a higher quality?
After all most stuff is copied from agencies anyway.

And only watching one of them continously would indeed be bad, but fortunately there the remote control.
So you can always exchange the annoying pseudo-expert economy babbling with the sports news from France.

In essence, they create a need for themselves - circular supply-demand!

Don't really think so. Who do they create that need in?

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Hitro

What makes you think the news on the radio or on the net would have a higher quality?
After all most stuff is copied from agencies anyway.

And only watching one of them continously would indeed be bad, but fortunately there the remote control.
So you can always exchange the annoying pseudo-expert economy babbling with the sports news from France.

well, it is not better in quality of the information, but it lacks the BS in between

Don't really think so. Who do they create that need in?

They have created, through their constant report and advertizement about how great they are, the feeling tin everybody that one MUST! KNOW! EVERYTHING! RIGHT! AWAY!!!!!!!!
Then then saisfy that non-existent, but seemingly important feeling, thus creating a society that judges people on their knowledge - I ahve been called a backwards fart when I didn#t know of Saddams capture 10 minutes after hte Reuters message of the UNCONFIRMED report was out!

 

[Hitro]

Originally posted by carlosMM
well, it is not better in quality of the information, but it lacks the BS in between They have created, through their constant report and advertizement about how great they are, the feeling tin everybody that one MUST! KNOW! EVERYTHING! RIGHT! AWAY!!!!!!!!

I don't think that's true. Even being someone who watches those stations I don't know anyone who thinks so. And most people I know don't even know some of the stations exist. Their ratings are below 1% mostly, after all...

Then then saisfy that non-existent, but seemingly important feeling, thus creating a society that judges people on their knowledge - I ahve been called a backwards fart when I didn#t know of Saddams capture 10 minutes after hte Reuters message of the UNCONFIRMED report was out!

Hmm, you apparently know weird people...

What is far worse is that news has become "event"-oriented. Today my brother told me he was watching something meaningless on RTL last night (really at night, past 3am or so) when suddenly the program was broke with a big "Breaking News" sign (in English) and they brought a special news report on the breakthrough in the mediations in Berlin. In the middle of the night...
Now that sucks.

 

[cgannon64]

I only watch it if I want to see a video of something (too lazy to download) or watch a live speech.

The Times gives me real news.

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Hitro

I don't think that's true. Even being someone who watches those stations I don't know anyone who thinks so. And most people I know don't even know some of the stations exist. Their ratings are below 1% mostly, after all...

Hmm, you apparently know weird people...

you are German... I have experienced the 'permanently-on-CNN' in the US quite often, people watching the same 30 seconds thing ten times in rapt attention!

What is far worse is that news has become "event"-oriented. Today my brother told me he was watching something meaningless on RTL last night (really at night, past 3am or so) when suddenly the program was broke with a big "Breaking News" sign (in English) and they brought a special news report on the breakthrough in the mediations in Berlin. In the middle of the night...
Now that sucks.

where can I found my own state where I can ban cable TV??????

 

[Hitro]

Originally posted by carlosMM
you are German... I have experienced the 'permanently-on-CNN' in the US quite often, people watching the same 30 seconds thing ten times in rapt attention!

Hmm okay, the Americans are weird people...

where can I found my own state where I can ban cable TV??????

You can move over here and join my secession movement.

May I say that RTL is the biggest non-cable station there is...?

 

[carlosMM]

Originally posted by Hitro
May I say that RTL is the biggest non-cable station there is...?

say it in HUGE letters - but even ARD and ZDF suck since they try to copy (American) cable stations. RTL has taken quite a downturn, too.

I meant private vs public stations, obviously, and MY RTL would come by satelite, if I had a TV!