# Dear producers at CNN, FNC, and MSNBC. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 8, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408 "2004-01-08T13:29:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/21 "2004-01-08T18:12:05Z")
I still remember TWA Flight 800. I was unemployed at the time, every single day they broke away from their normal programming to show a news conference where the guy always said " We haven’t found anything new yet." or “We found some remains on a beach.” God forbid you have a reporter attend the conference and just tell us after if there is anything to report. This is why I don’t watch the news anymore, I’ll stick with the Cartoon Network, the Food Network, or some other mindless entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/22 "2004-01-08T19:18:37Z")
:clapping: Except I like Orange County Chopper show. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/23 "2004-01-08T19:44:04Z")
I like the chopper show, and the monster house, and the monster garage, and all those shows. And I think they belong on the network - it’s about time we had programs featuring people who actually build things and show their competence. And it’s nice that mechanics and carpenters are actually shown in a positive light. Back to Laci and the other junk. You know why I think the networks program this stuff instead of doing in-depth analysis of political events and on-the-scenes coverage of Iraq? I think it’s because they are LAZY and UNEDUCATED. The news networks are full of people with B.A’s, with maybe a few actually having gone to J-school for a year or two. They don’t know shit about shit, but they portray themselves as the gatekeepers of truth. Anyone who’s an expert in any field knows what happens when journalists try to cover it - they invariably screw it up, badly. Any time there’s a story about aviation, I cringe at how wrong it is. Same with technology stories, or stories about economics. The 24 hour news media can’t even gets its basic facts straight, so it should not be surprising that they gravitate towards sensational, fact-free news reporting and verbatim readings of press releases. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/24 "2004-01-08T19:45:29Z")
And one other reason they gravitate towards legal stories is that if there is any specialty the people who do the news might have training in, it’s law. Quite a few anchors have law degrees. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/25 "2004-01-08T19:56:18Z")
> [@](#): > > How about a 6-hour block of Laurie Dhue or Rudi Bakhtiar in a bikini? I’m down with this. All the anchors should read the news in swimwear. Except for Larry King. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/26 "2004-01-08T20:13:01Z")
“We got the bubble-headed bleached blonde comes on at five She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye It’s _interesting_ when people die…” Speaking as an ex-newsie and current media business guy you’re going to see this as long as market forces intersect with news reporting. Dollar pressure will **always** trump news pressure. That’s just the way it is. Want something more impartial and focused on real stories? Support government money for news. Watch C-Span. Listen to NPR. It’s the best you’ll do in the States. God knows I sold my soul (as so many of us have over the years) for advertising dollars. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/27 "2004-01-08T20:21:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KidCharlemagne \* > \*\*I’m with ya. Last weekend CNN aired a half-hour special on the American Soldier for Time’s Person of the Year. They showed footage of American soldier’s interacting with Iraqis, some positive, some negative. They weren’t the same 2-second stock footage clips they show for every fricking story. It was fascinating to see what it was like in everyday Baghdad. Why the fuck can’t they show some slice of life stories of soldiers and Iraqis? \*\* Producing a show with original footage is very expensive, especially in a wrecked country where you don’t even know if the outlets work. Stock footage is cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/28 "2004-01-08T23:45:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*Besides, if you keep reminding people of it, how am I ever going to sell my down-home, country-style do-it-yourself “terror alert” meters? I’ve got two styles in mind. One, a wooden frame that says “Today’s terror alert is” and you hang the appropriate color tile below. Or, if you want to see ALL the colors, one with the color tiles in descending order and a figurine of your choice to hang next to the correct color (figurine ideas so far: a cat, a dog, Uncle Sam, Toby Keith, Saddam with the beard, and Dr. Phil). \*\* I would _love_ to have one of these in my front yard. Note that the headline sign should have a smiling bunny on it. Hey, I may have my Christmas woodworking project for next year… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/29 "2004-01-08T23:51:21Z")
It feels…_funny_ to agree with **Brutus** so wholeheartedly. Good OP! ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/30 "2004-01-09T00:20:02Z")
But, where will I get my 24-7 fix of entertainment news? If only their was a channel devoted to entertainment. Entertainment on Television… What should we call it? I agree that the “news” on TV is mostly crap. PBS and some cable outlets are useful for particular things. Discovery Wings is neat. The newsbabes make it all go down smoothly, like a sugary drink you know will give you a hangover. If it wasn’t for the internet, foundations, and thinktanks I wouldn’t get any news of much significance. The CNN versus Fox news divisions beach touch football game – I’d watch. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/31 "2004-01-09T00:21:16Z")
If only their was some way to edit my post up their. I hate that. But it _sounds_ good! ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/32 "2004-01-09T00:32:58Z")
Notice how most of the stories you have listed are from California–you’re welcome. And sometimes the local news (Los Angeles) will be showing a “high speed” chase and when I go to the national cable news networks they too will be showing the same chase. I will also give you a “you’re welcome”. California is taking over the nation. :: Bwahahahaha :: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/33 "2004-01-09T02:02:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Notice how most of the stories you have listed are from California–you’re welcome. Well, keep your idiot newsmakers out of Colorado from now on cause I’m really tired of the daily “Breaking news: Kobe’s lawyer filed a motion to have the courtroom Kleenexs(Kleenices?) changed to a new brand” crap. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/34 "2004-01-09T04:08:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*I like the chopper show, and the monster house, and the monster garage, and all those shows. And I think they belong on the network - it’s about time we had programs featuring people who actually build things and show their competence. And it’s nice that mechanics and carpenters are actually shown in a positive light. > > \*\* I like Monster Garage, American Chopper and Junkyard Wars and I know diddly squat about things mechanical. Same goes with Monster House. It’s great fun watching the hard work and ingenuity at play. For all that matter I like Warehouse Warriors too, probably for the reason you said. Those folks are actually using skills. I’ve also developed a lively appreciation for Mythbusters. But those are the exceptions. I loathe the pseudo-news schtick. > [@](#): > > **Cheesesteak** wrote: > " We haven’t found anything new yet." or “We found some remains on a beach.”\*\* It reminds me of the classic Saturday Night Live send-up of inflated non-news. “This just in: Fransisco Franco is still dead!” And don’t get me started on the dumbed-down, soft filler crap. They pound non-news into the ground, then ignore real, nonsexy events in favor heroic kiddies, diet updates, celebrity pap, etc. Grrrr. That crap is just mind candy posing as information. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/35 "2004-01-10T02:27:26Z")
I suggested “entertainmurder” in another thread. Any other suggestions for the latest high profile (often celebrity) murder/crime? Anyone think that stuff is as newsworthy as the coverage it gets? I don’t know anyone who says good things about the coverage. OTOH, people mention the cases. [sub]I could not get enough of Winona and her shoplifting beef.[/sub] To be fair, to me, I would have just watched it on one of a dozen (hundred?, thousands?), or so shows devoted to entertainment news like Winona shoplifting. I can even see drunk celebrities around closing time (Celebrities Uncensored?). Anyway, an E show. It really is a golden age. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/36 "2004-01-10T03:24:01Z")
In Al Franken’s book, _Lies and the lying liars who tell them_, he makes an interesting point about this. He said the only REAL bias in journalism is the bias of laziness. That it’s simply much easier to report on a story that is already developed and spoon fed to you. Tracking down _new_ stories that have actual relevance is not an attractive option because a) it’s hard, and b) people (or more to the point, editors looking for what will sell) might not care. Really, how much work do you have to put in for a Scott Peterson or Kobe Bryant story? Not a lot digging going on. Just folks standing around waiting fro the press release. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408/37 "2004-01-10T03:46:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I suggested “entertainmurder” in another thread. Might I suggest “murdertainment?” It rolls off the tongue better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-producers-at-cnn-fnc-and-msnbc/223408.md?page=1)